PRINCETON,    N.   ^J 


Division •  '  ■ 

Section... 


Shelf. '^''''"^" 


-     ■   ■         ■    r^ 


EEMAEKS 


UPON  THE 


DRAMATIC  ARRANGEMENT 


OF 


THE    APOCALYPSE, 


OR 


BOOK   OF   REVELATION, 

(the  unveiling  of  jesds  cheist.) 


CONCISE  VIEW  OF  THE  MYTH  AND  PURPORT 
OF  THE  VISION. 

TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED 

A    GLOSSARY    OP    SYMBOLIC    TERMS, 

WITH    THEIR    SUPPOSED    ANALOGICAL     MEANINGS. 


NEW-YORK: 

ANSON    D.    F.    RANDOLPH,    688    BROADWAY. 

1857. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  by 

ANSON  D.  P.  RANDOLPH, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for 

the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


John  A.  Gray,  Printer  and  Stereotyper^ 
16  &  18  Jacob  St.,  Fire-Proof  Buildings. 


PREFACE. 


In  a  work  published  some  time  since,  entitled 
'•''Hyponoia^^''  it  was  the  principal  object  of  the  writer  to 
ascertain  and  to  exhibit,  by  a  strict  analysis  of  "  the 
Book  of  Eevelation,"  the  proper  and  uniform  interpre- 
tation of  the  language  of  this  highly  mystic  composition. 
Accordingly,  having  adopted,  as  a  rule  of  interpreta- 
tion, the  principle  that  no  application  of  fig-ures  or 
expressions  could  be  depended  upon,  but  such  as  might 
be  uniformly  made  to  every  portion  of  the  sacred  book, 
he  became  convinced,  after  having  repeatedly  gone  over 
the  work,  that  the  whole  purport  of  this  apostolic  vision 
relates  to  matters  of  religious  doctrine  or  of  Christian 
faith,  illustrative  of  doctrinal  errors  on  the  one  side,  and 
of  evangelical  truth  on  the  other.  Satisfied  in  this  par- 
ticular, and  fiilly  persuaded  that  the  vision  dictated  to 
the  apostle  proceeded  from  the  same  source  of  divine 
inspiration  as  that  from  which  the  rest  of  the  sacred 
writings  had  emanated,  the  further  rule  of  exegesis 
was  adopted,  that  no  interpretation  of  the  language 
or  figures  could  be  admissible,  but  such  as  corresponded 
with  the  doctrines  of  Christian  faith  set  forth  in  other 
portions  of  the  sacred  writings. 


IV  PEEFACE. 

Pursuing  tlie  inductive  method,  the  writer  avoided 
coming  to  any  general  conclusion  as  to  the  design  of  the 
idsion,  till  it  could  be  made  to  appear  from  an  exposi- 
tion of  the  whole.  With  this  view,  even  attention  to  the 
mystic  number  of  the  name  of  the  Beast  {666)  was  set 
aside  till  the  close  of  the  work,  lest  any  assumption  of 
its  meaning  should  bias  the  interpretation  or  appHcation 
of  other  passages.  Neither  was  the  solution  of  that  num^- 
ber  suggested  to  his  mind  till  nearly  all  the  sheets  had 
been  struck  off,  as  will  appear  by  its  place  in  a  note, 
nearly  at  the  conclusion  of  the  printed  volume.  (See 
"  Hyponoia,"  p.  698.) 

Having  thus  first  ascertained  the  general  uniform  sus- 
ceptibility of  the  doctrinal  interpretation  alluded  to,  and 
being  afterwards  confirmed  in  this  view  by  what  appear- 
ed to  be  the  correct  solution  of  the  test  number,  {666^) 
he  submitted  the  work  to  the  pubhc,  placing  it  especially 
before  a  number  of  the  reverend  clergy  of  different 
denominations,  trusting  that  if  there  were  any  essential 
errors  in  it,  those  errors  would  be  pointed  out. 

Twelve  years  have  elapsed  since  the  issue  of  the  pub- 
lication referred  to,  during  which  the  writer's  attention 
has  been  mainly  directed  to  other  studies  and  other  pur- 
suits. In  this  time,  although  several  commentators  have 
made  (as  has  been  almost  uniformly  done  before)  a  very 
different  application  of  certain  portions  of  the  vision,  no 
one  has  yet  pointed  out  any  particular  error  in  the  views 
taken  by  the  writer.  One  difficulty,  however,  has 
remained  upon  his  own  mind,  and  has  occupied  his 
thoughts — ^without,  however,  disturbing  his  confidence 
in  the  general  construction  given  to  the  vision. 


PREFACE. 


Persuaded  that  tlie  Apocalypse  was  a  divinely-inspired 
composition,  perfect  in  its  kind,  and  that,  as  such,  it 
should  be  contemplated  as  suvhole—hming  a  beginning, 
a  middle,  and  an  end,  he  could  not  but  believe  that  there 
was  something  in  it  like  a  plan  or  plofr—a.  unity  of 
design,  and  a  tissue  or  connection  in  the  series  of  sym- 
bohcal  characters  and  events.  That  there  was  an  epos 
to  be  defined,  a  principal  character  whose  progress  was 
to  be  traced  out,  and  a  catastrophe  to  be  noticed,  appear- 
ed from  the  analysis  before  made;  but  it  was  not  till 
recently,  in  reading  some  remarks  of  a  German  author 
upon  the  ancient  drama  of  the  Greeks,  that  the  hght  he 
desired  seemed  to  be  afforded  him. 

As  will  appear  in  the  present  work,  a  comparison  of 
the  arrangement  of  the  ancient  Greek  tragedy  with  that 
of  the  Apocalypse  can  hardly  be  drawn  without  suggest- 
ing the  resemblance  between  the  two.  Pursuing  this 
comparison,  the  writer  has  been  led  to  notice  the  ar- 
rangements of  the  vision,  separating  the  dramatic  por- 
tion of  it  from  the  introductory  part ;  again  separating 
the  dramatic  actions  from  what  appeared  to  be  in  the 
places  of  prologue  and  epilogue ;  adopting  the  choral 
divisions;*  discriminating  between  scenes  in  heaven  and 
scenes  in  earth ;  tracing  out  the  priacipal  character  m  the 
person  of  the  Conqueror,  and  giving  to  the  exodus  and 
catastrophe  the  prominence  to  which  they  are  entitled. 

*  The  substance  only  of  these  choral  recitations  being  given,  they  can  not 
be  compared  with  the  Greek  metres;  but  they  are  expressly  described  as 
songs,  (odes,)  and  in  some  cases  as  sung  with  accompaniment  of  instru- 
mental  music,  ("harpers  harping  with  their  harps.")  Where  the  action  is 
not  spoken  of  as  a  song,  it  has  evidently  the  character  of  a  recitative  chorus. 


VI  PREFACE. 

Keeping  tliese  particulars  in  view,  tlie  reader  is  ena- 
bled to  seize  upon  something  like  a  dramatic  pht^  by 
■widchtlie  tissue  and  unity  of  the  piece  become  apparent, 
the  lesson  of  the  myth  and  the  consistency  of  the  inter- 
pretation more  fully  developed. 

For  the  convenience  of  those  who  are  not  in  posses- 
sion of  the  "  Hyponoia,"  (a  volume  of  about  800  pages, 
octavo,)  the  writer  has  added  a  summary  sketch  of 
that  work,  omitting  the  argumentative  portions  of 
it,  but  otherwise  according,  in  general,  with  the  inter- 
pretation there  adopted.*  To  this  is  added  a  glossary  of 
symbolic  terms,  with  their  supposed  analogical  mean- 
ings, principally  with  the  view  of  exhibiting  the  uni- 
formity of  explanation  of  which  they  are  susceptible 
throughout;  the  texts  cited  in  connection  being  referred 
to  only  by  way  of  illustration. 

A  few  notes,  which,  from  their  length,  could  not  have 
been  introduced  in  their  places  without  breaking  in  too 
much  upon  the  chain  of  the  narrative,  have  been  sup- 
j)hed  as  addenda.  They  are  not,  however,  essential  to 
the  understanding  of  the  preceding  matter. 

Imperfect  as  the  present  work  must  appear  to  prac- 
tised commentators,  the  writer  yet  hopes  that  it  may 
lead  to  more  critical  and  exact  views  than  have  been 
commonly  entertained  of  the  purport  of  this  interesting 
portion  of  the  sacred  writings,  the  importance  of  which 
should  be  estimated  by  the  "  blessedness"  attached,  in 
the  language  of  inspiration,  to  the  reading  and  hearing  of 
the  words  of  the  prophecy^  and  the  keeping  of  the  things 
written  therein. 

*  See  2d  aud  3d  parts  of  the  present  volume. 


NOTICE   TO  THE  READER. 


The  numbers  at  the  foot  of  the  page,  with  the  mark 
§,  refer  to  the  sections  of  the  "Hyponoia,"  where  the 
subjects  are  treated  at  length,  and  the  texts  are  cited 
both  in  Greek  and  English. 

The  letters  c.  v.  designate  the  common  Enghsh  ver- 
sion ;  Grr.,  the  Greek  of  the  latest  editions.  If  without 
this  latter  mark  the  sense  expressed  diJffers  from  that  of 
the  common  version,  the  words  varying  will  be  found 
iU  Italics.  Those  who  take  an  interest  in  the  subject,  it 
is  presumed,  will  have  the  sacred  volume  by  them  for 
continual  reference. 


PART     I  . 


lenmrlis  on  il}t  Jam  at  tfje  |^p^llpf, 


"Ilmarks  m  ^t  form  of  t\t  %^ndli^BL 


CHAPTER     I. 

REASONS  FOR  IMPUTING,  IN  THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE 
APOCALYPSE,  AN  ASSIMILATION  OP  FORM  TO  THAT  OF 
THE  ANCIENT  GREEK  DRAMA. 

To  persons  accustomed  to  look  upon  the  drama  merely 
as  a  theatrical  spectacle,  a  pastime  for  the  amusement 
of  an  idle  hour,  there  may  be  something  repulsive  in  the 
idea  of  imputing  a  dramatic  form  to  any  portion  of  the 
sacred  Scriptures.  Such  an  attemj)t  may  appear,  at  first 
sight,  an  abasement  of  the  subject,  divesting  it  perhaps  of 
the  solemnity  properly  belonging  to  it,  and  sanctioning  in 
some  degree  exhibitions  of  the  present  day,  worthy  only 
of  reprobation.  But  in  this  matter,  we  must  lose  sight  of 
the  present  state  of  thiags,  and  carry  our  minds  back  to 
the  circumstances  and  character  of  dramatic  exhibitions 
nearly  two  thousand  years  ago. 

In  an  age  when  there  were  no  printed  books  in  circula- 
tion, when  manuscripts  were  in  the  hands  of  the  learned 
few,  the  mass  of  the  people  could  be  instructed,  or  even  m- 
tellectualized,  only  by  such  exhibitions  as  the  stagie  of 
1 


2      REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

those  days  afforded.  For  this  purpose  the  drama  was 
perhaps  the  best  means  to  be  employed,  the  outward 
action  and  symboUc  representation  leaving  a  strung 
though  imperfect  impression  of  the  lesson  taught. 

The  ancient  tragedy  of  the  Greeks,  that  which  was  always 
held  in  the  highest  estimation  amongst  them,  was  of  a 
moral  and  rehgious  character — an  imperfect  morality,  and 
a  false  religion,  it  is  true,  but  still  its  design  was  moral 
and  rehgious.  The  retributive  punishment  of  crime,  and 
this,  too,  in  the  cases  of  persons  in  the  higher  ranks  of 
life,  and  the  interest  taken  by  heavenly  powers  in  the 
affairs  of  men  and  nations,  formed  in  general  the  burder 
of  these  compositions.  There  was  a  solemnity  of  thought 
and  purpose  in  these  exhibitions  of  the  ancient  Greeks 
which  we  do  not  associate  with  those  of  our  own  times 
but  which  should  not  astonish  us,  as  we  know  that,  sc 
late  as  the  reign  of  Charles  V.,  dramatic  exhibitions  in 
Christian  Europe  were  confined  to  subjects  of  a  rehgious 
character. 

The  tragic  writers  of  Greece  were,  in  effect,  the  popular 
teachers  of  morahty  and  piety.  The  exhibition  of  their 
pieces  was  given  in  immense  inclosures,  under  the  sur- 
veillance of  the  pubUc  authorities.  Every  sentiment  was 
a  subject  of  criticism  with  magistrates,  poets,  and  philoso- 
phers, while  the  spectators  in  general  composed  a  multi- 
tude, it  is  said,  frequently  of  twenty  thousand  or  more 
persons  of  all  classes.  The  pulpit  of  our  day  was  not  then 
known.  The  priests  offered  sacrifices,  ostensibly  to  the 
gods,  but  really  for  their  o^vn  consumption,  hving  and 
rioting  upon  the  offeiings  made.  Augurs  and  oracles  (the 
mediimis   of  the  ancients)    uttered   predictions  of  future 


REASONABLENESS  OF  THE   COMPARISON.  3 

events.  Philosophers  confined  their  speculations  to  a  few 
followers.  The  temples  were  scenes  of  blood,  butchery, 
imposture,  and  impurity.  For  the  people  there  was  no 
moral  instruction  but  such  as  poets  or  tragic  authors 
afforded.  Imperfect  as  this  instruction  was,  the  applause 
of  the  multitude  on  the  enunciation  of  just  sentiments,  and 
the  reprobation  expressed  for  such  as  were  false  or  vicious, 
fuUy  justified  the  statement  of  the  apostle  (Rom.  2  :  14, 15) 
that,  although  without  the  revealed  law,  they  had  a  law, 
or  a  rule  of  right  and  wrong,  written  in  their  consciences. 

Dramatic  compositions,  it  is  admitted,  had  deteriorated 
very  much  about  the  time  of  the  apostles ;  the  solemnity 
and  moral  bearing  of  Greek  tragedy  had  given  place,  in 
part,  to  the  humor  of  satirical  comedy.  Nor  was  vice  the 
only  subject  of  satire.  As  the  minds  of  the  people  became 
enlarged,  the  superstitious  observances  of  heathen  worship 
lost  much  of  the  popular  reverence,  and  priests  and  deities 
were  often  not  unacceptable  subjects  of  satire  with  the 
multitude,  as  well  as  with  the  more  enlightened,  who 
secretly  felt  for  these  objects  the  contempt  they  deserved 

The  way  was  opening  for  the  introduction  of  Christiani- 
ty, and  the  loss  sustained  in  the  absence  of  the  solemnity 
of  the  old  Greek  tragedy,  was  more  than  compensated  by 
the  approaching  light  of  the  Gospel.  StiU  the  forms,  the 
construction,  the  scenic  effect,  the  combination,  and  the 
shadowing  forth  of  some  mystic  conception  in  the  tissue  of 
the  piece,  were  matters  of  familiar  acquaintance  as  well  as 
of  known  usage.  On  this  account  we  may  consider  the  dra- 
matic form  probably  the  best  in  which  the  instruction  con- 
tained in  the  Apocalypse  could  be  conveyed,  at  the  time 
it  was  written.     If  it  has  not  appeared  so  since,  it  must 


4      REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

have  been  from  want  of  attention  to  that  peculiarity  of 
construction  by  which  the  unity  of  the  piece  is  developed. 

The  symbolical  or  figurative  relations  of  Scripture  are 
given  to  us  in  the  form  most  suitable  to  the  subjects  of 
which  they  treat;  but  they  are  all  of  them  very  con- 
cisely set  forth;  much  is  implied  in  them,  which  we 
must  know  before  perceiving  how  well  the  peculiar 
form  of  relation  employed,  is  adapted  to  the  occasion  call- 
ing for  it.  To  ascertain  these  allusions,  we  have  often  to 
resort  to  the  usages  of  the  times,  and  to  matters  of  general 
notoriety,  which  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  taken 
into  consideration  in  the  composition. 

To  understand  what  is  implied  in  the  language  of  the 
prophets,  we  must  search  into  the  usages  of  the  He- 
brews and  other  Asiatics.  To  understand  all  that  is  iia- 
plied  in  the  narratives  of  the  evangelists,  we  must  acquaint 
ourselves  with  Asiatic,  Jewish,  Greek,  and  Roman  cus- 
toms, of  those  or  preceding  times.  To  understand  much 
of  what  is  implied  in  the  book  of  Revelation,  written  at 
the  time  and  under  the  circumstances  generally  supposed, 
we  must  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  customs  more  partic- 
ularly of  the  Greeks,  and  especially  in  respect  to  their  dra- 
matic usages;  a  use  being  made  in  that  divinely  inspired 
composition  (the  Apocalypse)  of  the  well-known  forms  of 
Greek  tragedy,  corresponding  with  the  allusions  of  the 
apostle  Paul  to  the  customs  and  regulations  of  the  stadium 
and  amphitheatre,  and  to  the  allusion  of  our  Saviour  (in 
his  parable  Of  the  marriage-feast)  to  the  Asiatic  usage 
in  a  royal  entertainment.* 

*  The  festal-robe  being  furnished  by  the  host  and  proffered  to  every  guest 


EEASONABLENESS    OF  THE   COMPARISON.  6 

The  Apocalypse  was  written  after  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem ;  Judea  was  no  more  a  nation,  and  the  Jews 
were  no  more  a  people.  The  literature  of  the  civilized 
world  was  Greek.  Even  Romans  of  distinction  resorted 
to  Greece  to  complete  their  studies.  The  Greek  language, 
Greek  usages,  Greek  moral  and  philosophic,  and  even 
religious  notions,  were  taking  everywhere  the  lead.  The 
Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament  were  all  written  originally 
in  Greek,  although  the  writers  were  not  themselves  Greek ; 
so  the  Greeks  were  spoken  of  by  the  apostle  Paul,  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  Jews,  as  the  prophets  had  spoken  of 
the  Gentiles  as  opposites  of  the  people  of  Israel;  Paul 
himself  not  disdaining  to  quote  the  sentiments  of  Greek 
writers,  whenever  such  use  of  them  afforded  additional 
force  to  his  arguments. 

Amongst  the  usages  of  the  Greeks  there  was  none,  per- 
haps, which  found  a  more  ready  reception  throughout  the 
Roman  empire,  than  their  dramatic  exhibitions.  These, 
indeed,  degenerated  from  the  dignity  of  ancient  tragedy, 
in  proportion  as  they  were  removed  from  their  source, 
as  they  had  done  amongst  the  Greeks  themselves;  but 
still,  a  certain  familiarity  6f  acquaintance  existed  as  to 
the  form,  the  arrangement  of  parts,  the  scenic  show  and 
its  changes,  the  tissue  of  the  piece,  its  unity,  the  import^ 
ance  of  the  catastrophe,  and  the  design  of  a  myth^  or  in- 
struction, concealed  under  the  outward  representation. 

Taking  these  circumstances  into  consideration,  it  can  not 
appear  surprising  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  dictating  to  the 
apostle  the  relation  he  gives,  should  have  employed  such 
an  arrangement  of  its  parts  as  would  be  familiar  with 


6     BEMAEKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

readers  of  that  age,  and  may  become  so  with  those  of 
every  age  by  a  little  attention  to  the  subject. 

It  may  be  objected,  that  there  is  a  want  of  dialogue  in 
the  Apocalypse,  essential  to  a  dramatic  composition,  but 
we  wish  to  have  it  borne  in  mind  that  we  confine  our  com- 
parison to  the  construction  only  of  the  ancient  drama ;  yet, 
to  our  minds,  the  symbolic  pictures  presented  are  them- 
selves speakers — ^their  language  may  be  said  to  be  the 
language  of  action,  which  is  sometimes  considered  even 
more  expressive  than  that  of  words. 


FOBM  OP  THE  ANCIENT  DRAMA. 


CHAPTER     II. 

AKKANGEMENT  OF  THE  ANCIENT  GREEK  DRAMA,  AS  IT  RE- 
SEMBLES IN  CERTAIN  PARTICULARS  THAT  OF  THE  APO- 
CALTPSE. 

Having  given  some  reasons  in  the  preceding  chapter 
for  the  supposed  assimilation  inform  of  the  Apocalypse  to 
the  construction  of  the  Greek  drama,  let  us  now  take  a 
glance  at  such  points  of  resemblance  as  appear  to  confirm 
the  views  we  have  adopted. 

In  some  respects,  we  might  compare  the  book  of  Reve- 
lation to  an  epic  poem,  irrespective  of  versification ;  but, 
taking  into  view  the  pecuhar  characteristics  of  the  old 
Grreek  tragedy,  with  its  scenic  arrangements,  we  think  the 
Apocalypse  has  more  of  a  dramatic  cast.  Not  that  this 
sacred  composition  is  an  imitation  of  any  human  produc- 
tion, but  that  its  peculiar  construction  arises  out  of  the 
aature  of  the  illustrations  required,  and  the  adaptation  of 
the  form  to  the  instruction  to  be  conveyed. 

It  is  said  of  the  Ihad  and  Odyssey  of  Homer,  that  they 
are  compilations  of  poetical  pieces,  sung  or  recited  amongst 
the  Greeks  at  different  times,  and  by  different  bards  or 
speakers,  and  at  last  put  together  by  the  old  father  of 
epic  poetry,  in  his  own  way.  Accordingly  the  poet  intro- 
duces most  of  his  characters  as  parties  already  known, 
deeming  it  unnecessary  to  state,  any  further  than  by  theu' 


8  REMARKS    ON   THE    FOllM    OF   THE    APOCALYPSE. 

names,  who  or  wliat  they  are.  Tlie  same  may  be  said  of 
the  old  Greek  tragedies ;  their  deities,  their  heroes,  etc., 
were  known  to  the  spectators,  and  theii'  characters,  and 
something  of  their  history,  were  well  understood  by  those 
present  at  the  representation. 

So,  the  Apocalypse  contains,  as  we  aj^prehend,  a  con- 
densed view  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  already  given 
in  parts  by  different  hands.  The  persons  and  things  al- 
luded to  are  accordingly,  with  Uttle  exception,  easily 
recognized  by  every  reader  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament, 
without  other  explanation  than  the  appellations  given 
them. 

Again,  in  the  productions  referred  to,  of  the  ancient 
Greek  poets,  there  are  scenes  on  earth,  where  the  contest 
is  between  human  beings,  and  scenes  in  the  councils  of  the 
gods,  where  the  controversy  is  between  the  powers  above 
in  relation  to  the  warfare  below.  So,  in  the  vision  of  the 
apostle,  there  is  at  one  time  a  view  of  contending  doc- 
trinal elements  on  the  earth,  and  at  another  time,  a  de- 
scription of  that  which  has  taken  place  in  the  council  of 
heaven,  in  relation  to  the  earthly  contest :  as  in  the  war 
in  heaven,  (Rev.  12,)  and  the  contest  with  the  ten-horned 
beast  on  earth,  (Rev.  19.) 

As  the  epics  and  tragedies  of  the  ancients  had  their 
side-scenes,  something  accessory  to  the  plot,  but  not  dis- 
turbing the  unity  of  the  piece,  the  Apocalypse  has  also  its 
scenes  aside,  or  episodes,  accessory  to  the  main  narrative, 
but  not  interfering  with  the  tissue  of  the  narration :  as  the 
scene  in  the  wilderness,  (Rev.  IV,)  and  the  scene  on  the 
great  and  high  mountain,    (Rev.  21.) 

We  use  the  term  episode  here  in  the  modern  sense.     It. 


FORM    OF   THE    ANCIENT   DKAMA.  9 

is  somewhat  difficult  to  determine  whether  the  an^^^-^ts 
considered  episodes  accessory,  or  as  parts  of  the  body  of 
the  piece.  The  parts  between  the  stashna  being  termed 
in  Greek  epeisodia,  as  originally  something  brought  in  5y 
the  way,  but  afterwards  forming  the  body  of  the  nar- 
rative. 

The  general  rule  of  such  accessory  matter  is  that  it 
should  have  some  immediate  relation  to  the  narrative ;  and 
this  rule  we  find  fully  observed  in  the  composition  of  the 
Apocalypse. 

In  the  drama  there  is  the  action  of  opposite  parties, 
characters  good  and  bad;  the  one  contributing  to  the 
development  of  the  other.  In  hke  manner,  in  the  dra- 
matic portion  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  there  are  personi- 
fications of  the  opposite  elements  of  doctrinal  truth  and 
error,  and  it  is  by  the  contrast  of  these  opposite  elements, 
that  fight  is  thrown  upon  the  peculiar  features  of  each. 

Another  peculiarity  of  the  ancient  tragedy  is  the  fre- 
quent use  of  the  chorus.  In  our  day,  we  are  apt  to  look 
upon  the  chorus  as  merely  a  musical  interlude,  but  it 
performed  a  much  more  important  part  in  the  Greek 
drama.  By  some  it  is  said  to  have  represented  a  sort  of 
privileged  spectator,  acting  occasionally  as  an  interpreter, 
or  as  one  eficiting  an  interpretation,  by  which  the  myth,  or 
real  gist  of  the  representation,  is  explained.  Such  seems  to 
be  the  part  performed  by  "one  of  the  elders,"  in  the 
Apocalypse,  (Rev.  5  :  5,  and  Y  :  13,)  and  one  of  the  seven 
angels,  (Rev.  17  :  1,  and  21  :  9,)  although,  as  the  term 
angel  properly  signifies  a  messenger,  these  last  may  be 
classed  as  such,  that  character  being  also  an  important 
constituent  of  the  Greek  drama. 
1* 


10    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

The  use  of  the  chorus^  in  its  origin,  is  described  to  have 
been  confined  to  one  actor,  two  or  three  more  being  after- 
wards added.  At  first,  the  principal  performance  of  the 
piece  consisted  in  the  singing  of  the  chorus,  the  narrative 
being  auxiUary.  The  plot  was  divided  into  four  parts  by 
this  action,  the  intervening  recitations  being  termed  epei- 
sodia.  Subsequently,  the  recitation,  or  dialogue,  was  the 
most  important,  till  gradually  the  chorus  became  incor- 
porated with  the  action  of  the  piece. 

Sometimes  the  chorus,  it  is  said,  was  to  speak,  and  then 
their  chief,  called  coryphceus,  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  rest. 
The  singing  was  performed  by  the  whole  choir.  When 
the  coryi^hseus  struck  into  a  song,  the  chorus  immediately 
joined  him — an  action  corresponding  with  that  of  "a  voice 
from  the  throne,"  to  which  there  is  the  response  of  a  great 
multitude,  (Rev.  19  :  5,  6,)  in  the  last  choral  action  of  the 
Apocalypse.  Sometimes  in  the  course  of  the  represen- 
tation, the  chorus  joined  the  actors  vdth  their  plaints  and 
lamentations,  on  occasions  of  unhappy  incidents ;  we  do 
not  find  any  joint  action  like  this  in  the  Apocalypse,  but 
the  lamentations  of  the  kings  of  the  earth,  the  merchants, 
ship-masters,  and  mariners,  at  the  faU  of  Babylon,  corre- 
spond very  nearly  with  the  commos^  or  wailing  scenes,  of  the 
Greek  drama.  Latterly,  a  function  of  the  chorus  was  to  en- 
gage the  attention  of  the  spectators,  while  the  actors  were 
behind  the  scenes.  Corresponding  with  this,  we  find  most 
of  the  choral  actions  of  the  Apocalypse  precede  an  entire 
change  in  the  character  of  the  subjects  represented:  as 
from  the  description  of  the  reign  of  the  beast  on  earth,  to 
the  view  of  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Sion. 

The  songs  of  the  Greek   chorus  usually  turned  upon 


FORM  OF  THE  ANCIENT  DRAMA.  11 

what  was  just  exhibited,  and  were  not  to  contain  any  thing 
but  what  was  suited  to  the  subject,  and  had.  a  natural  con- 
nection with  it.  This  purpose  we  find  most  fully  exemph- 
fied  in  the  actions  of  the  apocalyptic  choirs — they  all  bear 
this  relation  either  prospectively  or  retrospectively. 

^'  Ancient  Greek  tragedy,"  says  a  writer  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  many  of  these  remarks,  "  consists  of  a 
union  of  lyric  poetry  and  dramatic  discourse,  which  may 
be  analysed  in  different  ways.  The  chorus  may  be  distin- 
guished from  the  actors,  song  from  dialogue,  the  lyrical 
element  from  the  strictly  dramatic.  But  the  most  con- 
venient distinction  in  the  first  place,  is  that  suggested  be- 
tween the  song  of  many  voices  and  the  song  or  speech  of 
a  single  person.  The  first  belongs  to  the  chorus  only; 
the  second  to  the  chorus  or  the  actors.  The  many-voiced 
songs  of  the  chorus  have  a  peculiar  and  determinate  sig- 
nification for  the  whole  tragedy.  They  were  called 
stasimon^  when  sung  by  the  chorus  in  its  proper  place,  in 
the  middle  of  the  orchestra ;  and  parados^  when  sung  by 
the  chorus  while  advancing  through  the  side  entrance  of 
the  orchestra,  or  otherwise  moving  toward  the  place 
where  it  arranged  itself  in  its  usual  order."  ***** 
"  The  parados  chiefly  explams  the  entrance  of  the  chorus 
and  its  sympathy  in  the  business  of  the  drama,  while  the 
stasima  develop  this  sympathy  in  the  various  forms  which 
the  progress  of  the  action  causes  it  to  assume.  As  the 
chorus,  generally,  represented  the  ideal  spectator^  whose 
mode  of  doing  things  was  to  guide  and  control  the  im- 
pressions of  the  assembled  people,  so  it  was  the  peculiar 
province  of  the  stasimon,  amidst  the  press  and  tumult 
of  the  action,  to  maintain  that  composure  of  mind  which 


12         REMARKS   ON  THE   FORM    OF  THE   APOCAXYPSE. 

the  Greeks  deemed  indispensable  to  the  enjoyment  of 
II  work  of  art ;  and  to  divest  the  action  of  the  accidental 
and  personal,  in  order  to  place  in  a  clear  light  its  inward 
significations  and  the  thoughts  which  lay  beneath  the  sur- 
face. Stasima  are  therefore  only  introduced  in  pauses, 
when  the  action  has  run  a  certain  course."  *  *  *  ** 
"  In  this  manner  these  songs  of  the  assembled  chorus 
divide  the  tragedy  into  certain  parts,  which  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  acts  of  modern  plays,  and  from  which  the 
Greeks  called  the  part  before  the  parados,  the  prologue^ 
the  parts  between  the  parados  and  stasima,  epeisodia^  the 
part  after  the  last  stasima,  exodus.  ,The  chorus  appears, 
in  this  kind  of  songs,  in  its  appropriate  character,  and  is 
true  to  its  destination,  namely,  to  express  the  sentiments 
of  a  pious,  well-ordered  mind,  in  beautiful  and  noble 
forms."  "  The  number,  length,  and  arrangement  of  these 
parts  admit,"  it  is  added,  "  of  an  astonisliing  variety." 

How  well  these  peculiarities  of  the  Greek  chorus  accord 
with  the  action  of  the  apocalyptic  chorus,  we  shall  notice 
hereafter.  We  have  quoted  the  account  at  length,  because 
it  throws  a.  particular  light  on  the  language  of  the  apoca- 
lyptic chorus,  whether  it  be  that  of  one  or  of  many  voices. 
For  while  we  maintain  that  the  language  and  symbols  of 
the  representations  generally  are  to  be  applied  to  elements 
of  doctrine,  figuratively  spoken  of  as  animated  beings,  and 
even  as  human  beings,  we  think  it  may  be  reasonably 
allowed,  where  the  obvious  scene  and  circumstance  re- 
quire it,  to  take  the  language  of  the  chorus  (whether  song 
or  speech  of  one  or  of  many  voices)  out  of  this  general  rule, 
"  divesting  its  purport  of  the  accidental  and  personal^  in 
order  to  place  in  a  dear  light  its  i^iward  signification 


FORM    OF   THE   ANCIENT   DRAM^..  13 

and  the  thoughts  lohich  lay  beneath  the  surface^''''  as  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  show  in  commenting  upon  Rev.  7  : 
9-21,  and  21  :  3,  4. 

The  Athenians,  it  is  said,  could  judge  of  the  character 
of  an  actor,  and  of  the  part  he  was  to  perform,  by  the 
quarter  whence  he  made  his  appearance.  The  walls  on 
each  side  had  certain  openings.  Each  of  these  openings 
had  its  established  and  permanent  signification.  A  dis- 
tinct meaning  was  attached  to  the  right  and  left  side.  A 
person  entering  on  the  right  side  came  from  the  country, 
on  the  left  from  the  city.  The  main  wall,  or  scene, 
had  three  doors ;  the  middle  called  the  royal  door,  rep- 
resented the  principal  entrance  to  the  abode  of  the  sove- 
reign ;  the  right  led  to  the  apartments  of  guests ;  the  left  to 
the  shrines,  prisons,  or  other  secluded  apartments.  The 
moment  an  actor  appeared,  his  relation  to  the  whole 
drama  could  be  decided  upon.  Such  is  the  information 
we  may  derive  from  noticing  the  place  or  position  whence 
the  Apocalyptic  actors  make  their  appearance :  from 
heaven,  from  the  earth  or  land,  from  the  sea,  from  the 
throne,  the  temple,  the  altar,  the  east,  the  bottomless  pit, 
etc.  AQ  these  sources  are  to  be  taken  into  consideration 
in  the  interpretation  of  the  subjects  connected  with  them. 

We  have  an  instance  (Rev.  9  :  13)  of  a  voice  heard  by 
the  apostle  as  coming  from  the  horns  of  the  golden  altar, 
corresponding  in  the  action  with  a  voice  said  to  have 
come  from  the  sacrificial  table  near  the  altar,  in  the  rep- 
resentation of  a  religious  festival  of  the  Greeks,  the  voice 
being  a  response  to  the  action  of  the  chorus,  then  sur- 
rounding the  altar,  no  doubt  in  relation  to  an  ofiermg 
made  or  being  made. 


14  KESIAEKS    ON  THE   FOKM    OF   THE  APOCALYPSE. 

The  Greek  drama  having  originated  in  acts  of  religious 
worship,  under  the  great  masters  of  Greek  tragedy,  it  was 
serious  and  instructive,  or  so  intended.  The  parapherna- 
lia of  the  stage  had  its  religious  features.  The  altar  of  the 
deity  worshipped,  was  in  the  centre  of  the  orchestra. 
Altars  and  temples,  as  well  as  thrones,  were  ordinary  parts 
of  the  scenery ;  the  grand  chorus  occupied  a  central  posi- 
tion ;  actors  performing  the  part  of  heroes  or  spectators, 
came  forth  in  front ;  an  immense  multitude  of  all  ranks  of 
persons  composed  the  audience. 

We  can  hardly  forbear  comparing  these  particulars  with 
the  scene  described  by  the  apostle.  Rev.  4  and  5.  The 
elements  of  the  latter  are,  indeed,  much  more  sublime  and 
extraorduiary ;  and  in  magnitude,  the  difference  is  as  the 
infinite  to  the  finite  ;  but  there  are  certain  features  in  the 
arrangement  which  bring  before  us  at  once  the  resem- 
blance between  the  coup  d'^ceil  described  by  the  apostle, 
and  the  bird's-eye  view  we  may  imagine  of  an  immense 
theatre,  exhibiting  the  throne,  the  chorus  before  and 
round  about  the  throne,  the  immense  multitude  of  specta- 
tors ;  some  joining  occasionally  in  the  song  of  the  chorus, 
and  aU  uniting  in  their  plaudits  when  the  treatment  of  the 
subject  excited  such  an  expression  of  approbation. 

The  comparison  suggests  the  separation  of  the  matter 
of  these  two  chapters  (Rev.  4  and  5)  from  the  subsequent 
representation.  Rev.  4  exhibits  what  may  be  termed  the 
eternal  state  of  things  in  relation  to  the  Supreme  Being, 
without  reference  to  the  commg  exhibition.  The  chorus 
of  the  four  Hving  creatures  is  the  language  of  the  eternal 
attributes  of  divine  sovereignty ;  and  the  response  of  the 
twenty-four  elders  is  the  purport  of  divine  revelation,  that 


FORM  OF  THE  ANCIENT  DRAMA.  15 

purport  being  as  unchangeable  as  the  mind  of  God.  The 
action  of  this  chorus  is  always  in  process,  and  is  not  there- 
fore to  be  considered  as  a  chorus  of  the  piece  about  to  be 
presented.    "  They  rest  not  day  and  night." 

Revelation  5  presents  the  scenic  state  of  things  prior 
to  the  exhibition.  The  chorus  here,  Rev.  5  :  8-14,  may 
be  classed  with  the  Greek  parados  /  the  action  of  which, 
by  the  description  given  of  it,  must  have  been  preparatory 
to  the  representation  of  the  drama  itself;  accordingly  the 
matter  preceding  the  singing  of  this  chorus,  (Rev.  5  :  6,  7,) 
must  be  classed  with  the  Greek  prologue. 

This  distinction  is  important,  because,  as  the  dramatic 
action  of  the  Apocalypse  does  not  commence  till  the  com- 
mencement of  the  6th  chapter  of  Revelation,  the  uniti/  of 
the  piece  is  to  be  looked  for  between  that  commencement 
and  the  close  of  the  vision. 

On  the  Greek  stage,  the  same  actor  often  personated 
successively  different  characters,  male  and  female.  To  a 
person  familiar  with  these  representations,  there  was  no 
thing  incongruous  in  these  different  appearances  of  the 
same  individual;  as  inthe  Apocalypse  we  find  the  form  "hke 
unto  the  Son  of  Man,"  the  Lamb,  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse,  the  bride,  the  holy  city,  etc.,  to  be  different  pre- 
sentations of  the  same  divine  Word  unveiled. 

Greek  tragedies  were  so  constructed,  that  the  action 
of  which  they  were  composed,  might  with  propriety  pass 
on  the  same  spot,  as  in  the  court  of  a  royal  palace.  So  in 
the  Apocalypse  the  whole  exhibition  may  be  supposed  to 
have  passed  under  the  eyes  of  Him  who  sat  upon  the 
throne,  (Rev.  4:2;  5:1.) 

Certain  actions  were  imagined  to  pass  behind  the  scenes, 


16    EEMAKKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

and  were  only  related  on  the  stage.  Hence  the  import- 
ance of  the  parts  of  messengers  and  heralds.  Of  this  we 
have  examples  in  the  Apocalypse,  angels  being  literally  mes- 
sengers and  heralds  when  they  perform  the  part  of  such. 
With  the  Greeks,  it  is  said,  this  arrangement  was  favored, 
partly  because  it  is  never  the  outward  act  with  which  the 
interest  of  ancient  tragedy  is  bound  up.  Thus  we  find,  in 
the  vision  of  the  apostle,  some  parts  spoken  of  as  seen 
by  him ;  others  as  related  to  him,  or  in  his  hearing,  by 
one  of  the  chorus  of  twenty-four  elders,  or  by  an  attending 
angel,  (Rev.  7:13;  22  :  8,  9.) 

In  the  old  Greek  tragedy,  there  was  a  prevailing  myth 
— a  hidden  meaning — conveyed  beneath  the  symbolical 
action  of  the  piece,  in  relation  to  some  moral,  poHtical,  or 
religious  principle.  How  well  such  a  purport  agrees  with 
the  Apocalypse,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say.  The  myth 
of  the  latter,  indeed,  is  of  a  far  more  exalted  character ; 
and  the  spectators  (the  Christian  world  in  general)  have 
been  far  more  backward  and  less  unanimous  in  their  judg- 
ment of  the  hidden  meaning  than  were  the  Greeks,  in 
comprehending  the  un^r  sense  of  their  representations ; 
but  that  there  is  such  a  hidden  meaning  {hyponoia)  in  the 
book  of  Revelation,  no  reasonable  person  can  deny. 

The  tragedy  of  antiquity,  we  are  told,  originated  in  the 
delineation  of  some  suffering  or  passion ;  as  in  the  wrath 
of  Orestes,  which  formed  the  basis  of  the  piece  represent- 
ing it.  It  was  the  great  endeavor  of  the  Greek  art  to 
exhibit  the  character  and  rank  of  the  individuals,  whom  it 
grouped  together,  and  to  present  to  the  eye  a  symmetrical 
image  corresponding  with  the  idea  of  the  action  to  be 
represented.     So  tragedy,  as  defined  by  Aristotle,  is  "  the 


FORM  OF  THE  ANCIENT  DKAMA.  lY 

imitation  of  some  action  that  is  serious,  entire,  and  of  a 
proper  magnitude,  effecting  through  pity  and  terror,  the 
i-efinement  of  these  and  similar  affections  of  the  soul." 

"The  wi-ath  of  the  Lamb"  (Rev.  6  :  16, 17,)  differs  in  its 
nature  and  object  from  that  of  the  Greek  prince;  but  it 
forms  the  basis  of  action  in  the  exhibition  described  by 
the  apostle.  From  the  scene  of  terror  and  dismay  de- 
picted on  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  to  the  close  of  the 
20th  chapter  of  Revelation,  the  action  has  throughout  re- 
lation to  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb — whether  the  instrument- 
ahty  be  that  of  fire,  hail,  and  blood,  upon  the  earth  and 
its  productions,  or  that  of  the  scorpion  locusts,  or  that  of 
the  Euphratean  cavalry ;  or  fire  from  the  mouths  of  the 
witnesses  in  sackcloth,  or  the  expulsion  of  the  great  ser- 
pent fi'om  heaven ;  or  whether  the  operation  be  that  of 
the  harvest  and  the  vintage ;  the  effusion  of  the  seven 
vials;  the  earthquake;  the  destruction  of  Babylon;  the 
contest  with  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  and  the  kings 
of  the  earth ;  with  Satan  and  Gog  and  Magog ;  whether 
in  the  scene  of  judgment,  the  perdition  of  Death  and  Hell, 
or  in  the  exclusion  fi-om  the  Holy  City  of  every  thing  that 
defileth  or  maketh  a  lie — all  are  representations  of  the 
same  "wrath  of  the  Lamb,"  and  of  wrath  against  like  ob- 
jects, these  objects  being  elements,  or  principles,  of  a 
doctrinal  character,  figuratively  spoken  of  as  human 
beings,  opposed  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace 
through  the  vicarious  work  of  the  Lamb  of  God. 

Keeping  in  view  this  basis  of  the  apocalyptic  exhibition, 
we  shall  perceive  in  it  all  the  unity  of  conception,  all  the 
serious  and  entire  action  of  a  proper  magnitude,  required 
for  a  tragedy  by  the  great  master  of  Greek  criticism.  Nor 


18  KEMAEKS    ON  THE   FOEM   OF   THE   APOCALYPSE. 

is  there  less  attention  to  the  grouping  of  individuals  and 
the  exhibition  (symbohcal,  however,)  of  their  rank  and 
character,  whether  supposed  to  be  real  or  assumed. 

As  there  is  a  correspondence  in  the  construction  and 
seriousness  of  intent  in  the  old  tragedy,  with  the  arrange- 
ment and  solemn  import  of  the  vision  of  the  apostle,  so 
there  is  a  like  similarity  in  the  scenery  presented  to  the 
imagination. 

Simplicity  and  unity  of  plan,  required  no  complete 
change  of  scenic  decorations ;  but  in  Athens,  we  are  told, 
there  were  machines  of  a  triangular  form,  which,  being 
turned  round,  presented  views  corresponding  with  the 
scenes  produced.  There  was  the  home  side,  the  foreign 
side,  the  view  of  a  temple,  of  an  inner  court,  of  a  camp,  a 
forest,  or  a  sea,  etc.  This  was  sufficient  for  the  purpose 
designed ;  as  it  was  not  the  acts  themselves,  but  the  cir- 
cumstances arising  out  of  the  acts  when  accomphshed, 
which  occupied  the  reflections  and  feelings  of  the  chorus 
and  of  the  audience. 

Machines  for  raising  figures  from  beneath  the  stage,  or 
bearing  them  through  the  air,  for  the  imitation  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  etc.,  were  occasionally  employed;  and 
winged  cars,  and  strange  hippographs,  were  by  turns 
introduced.  The  deus  ex  machina  resembled  the  mono- 
logue :  some  divinity  appearing  in  the  sky,  announcing  the 
decrees  of  fate,  and  bringing  the  plot  to  a  just  and  peace- 
able conclusion.  Instead  of  the  deus  ex  macliina^  the 
apostle  describes  a  mighty  angel,  setting  one  foot  upon 
the  land  and  the  other  upon  the  sea,  and  thus  announcing 
the  decree  of  the  Most  High.  Instead  of  the  strange  hip- 
pographs, we  see  in  the  Apocalypse  the  seven-headed  and 


FOEM   OF   THE   ANCIENT   DRAMA.  19 

ten-horned  serpent,  and  the  beasts  from  the  sea  and  land. 
Instead  of  the  flying  cars,  the  apostle  describes  angelic 
heralds  flying  through  mid-heaven,  (Rev.  19  :  6-9,)  while 
the  angel  proclaiming  the  fall  of  Babylon,  (Rev.  18  :  1,) 
the  attending  angel  annomicing  the  blessedness  of  the 
marriage  feast,  and  the  angel  taking  the  apostle  to  see  the 
bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  (Rev.  21  ;  10,)  severally  perform 
their  parts  in  bringing  the  plot  to  a  just  and  happy  con- 
clusion. 

The  great  masters  of  Greek  tragedy,  as  they  are  justly 
called,  flourished  about  five  hundred  years  before  the 
issuing  of  the  Apocalypse  ;  but  we  may  imagine  that  if  any 
one  of  them  had  met  with  that  divinely  inspired  produc- 
tion, being  told  it  was  such,  and  as  such  necessarily  per- 
fect in  its  kind,  his  attention  would  have  been  at  once 
arrested  by  the  dramatic  features  we  have  noticed.  In- 
stead of  being  deterred  from  an  examination  of  the  work 
by  the  peculiar  strangeness  of  its  symbolic  pictures,  he 
would  have  perceived  immediately  that,  under  these  there 
was  a  myth,  or  hidden  meaning,  to  be  sought  for.  From 
the  resemblance  of  form,  in  the  dramatic  portion  of  the 
vision,  to  that  of  a  regularly  constructed  tragedy,  he 
would  have  been  persuaded  that  there  was  in  it  a  plot^ 
a  tissue  of  narration,  and  a  unity  of  plan,  the  discovery  of 
which  must  be  indispensable  to  an  understanding  of  its 
myth.  K  there  be  this  unity  of  plan — such  a  connection 
of  circumstances,  (he  would  argue,)  there  must  be  a  princi- 
pal character,  (a  protagonist^  according  to  the  Greek  no- 
menclature.) There  must  be  a  basis  of  action ;  an  oppo- 
sition of  parties,  each  having  its  chief;  and  from  the  appa- 
rently belligerent  complexion  of  the  narrative,  there  must 


20    EEMAEKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

be  a  warlike  contest,  a  triumph  of  the  victor,  and  a  happy 
or  unhaj^py  conchision.  The  unravelling  of  these  particu- 
lars, and  a  perce^jtion  of  their  connection,  as  a  lohole,  are 
necessary,  he  would  say,  to  the  discovery  of  the  instruc- 
tion to  be  conveyed. 

Such  is  the  improvement,  we  think,  to  be  derived  from 
the  comparison  traced  out.  There  is  a  myth  covered  by 
the  symboUc  exhibition  of  the  Apocalyptic  vision ;  to  dis- 
cover it  we  must  contemplate  the  piece  as  a  lohole  ;  there 
is  a  unity  of  plan ;  there  is  a  principal  character  corre- 
sponding with  the  Gveek protagonist — who  is  he  ?  There 
is  a  basis  of  action — what  is  it  ?  There  are  contendmg 
parties — who  and  what  are  they  ?  There  is  a  final  contest 
— who  is  the  victor  ?  who  are  the  vanquished  ?  what  is 
the  triumph  of  the  victor?  what  the  happy  conclusion? 
and  what  is  the  lesson  taught  ?  To  reply  to  these  inqui- 
ries we  must  examine  the  form  or  construction  of  the 
whole  vision,  analyse  its  symbolic  representations,  notice 
their  connection,  and  adopt  a  consistent  system  of  analogy 
for  the  interpretation  of  the  figures,  figurative  terms, 
and  language  employed.  And  if,  as  we  suppose,  the  tnyth^ 
or  lesson  taught,  consists  in  a  development  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Christian  faith,  we  must  appeal  for  the 
correctness  of  our  interpretation  to  its  correspondence 
mth  the  whole  purport  of  divine  revelation,  as  it  is  hand- 
ed down  to  us  in  other  portions  of  the  sacred  Scriptm-es. 


CUOHAL    DIVISIO-NS    OF   TUE    ArOCALYl'SE.  21 


CHAPTER    III. 

ARRANGEMENT  AND  CHORAL  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE, 
AS  THEY  CORRESPOND  WITH  THE  FORM  OF  THE  ANCIENT 
GREEK  DRAMA. 

The  tliree  first  verses  of  Rev.  1,  occupy  the  place  of  the 
title-page  of  a  modern  book.  The  remainder  of  that 
chapter  is  a  preface  ;  the  apostle  relating  therein  the  cii-- 
cnmstances  mider  which  the  vision  was  vouchsafed,  and 
the  directions' given  for  its  circulation. 

Rev.  2  and  3  consist  of  an  introduction,  in  the  form  of 
messages  to  certain  seven  churches  of  Asia.  These  mes- 
sages, with  some  commendations  of  what  is  good,  detail 
certain  errors  countenanced  by  the  angels  of  these  church- 
es ;  with  reference,  at  the  close  of  each  epistle,  to  an  indi- 
vidual spoken  of  as  the  conqiieroT^  (Greek,  "  the  conquer- 
ing,") he  that  overcomes,  or  the  overcoming ;  a  character 
equivalent  to  that  of  the  protagonist  of  the  Greeks. 

Apparently,  the  angels  of  the  churches  had  been  under 
some  wrong  impressions  as  to  who  this  conqueror  should 
be,  perhaps  supposing  it  might  be  one  or  more  of  them- 
selves. Their  views  in  this  respect  are  corrected,  by 
showing  from  the  narrative  given,  and  fi'om  a  comparison 
of  the  rewards  promised  with  their  fulfillment,  that,  as 
there  is  but  one  name  under  heaven  whereby  we  can  be 
saved,  so  there  is  but  one  combatant  in  the  working  out 


22    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,,  who  is  to  be  contemplated 
a-s  the  conqueror  or  "  He  that  overcometh." 

Rev.  4,  is  occupied  with  a  description  of  the  scene  pre- 
sented to  the  favored  spectator  at  the  commencement  of 
the  exhibition:  the  throne  and  he  that  sat  upon  it,  the 
four  living  creatures  round  the  throne,  (the  attributes  of 
divine  sovereignty,)  the  twenty-four  elders  or  presbyters, 
(representatives  of  divine  revelations,)  all  of  whom  are  par- 
ticularly described. 

Here  there  is  a  choral  action  of  adoration,  responded  to 
with  prostration,  spoken  of  as  being  continual,  "  they  rest 
not  day  and  night."  This  we  must  consider  as  something 
eternally  in  operation;  the  attributes  of  divine  sove- 
reignty and  the  elements  of  divine  revelation,  (the  sub- 
stance itself  of  that  revelation,)  virtually  combining  in  set- 
ting forth  the  holiness  and  worthiness  to  receive  glory, 
and  honor,  and  power,  of  the  Supreme  Being,  as  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  for  whose  pleasure  all  things  were 
and  are  created. 

The  action  of  this  chorus  we  consider  something  irre- 
spective of  the  vision  about  to  be  described,  and  as  there 
is  no  mention  here  of  any  other  being  than  the  Lord  God 
Almighty,  as  the  object  of  praise  and  adoration,  the  scene 
is  equivalent  to  the  representation  of  the  Supreme  Bemg 
as  he  has  been,  and  is,  and  will  be  throughout  eternity — 
the  "  all  in  all,"  the  process  of  giving  up  the  kingdom 
to  the  Father,  spoken  of  by  the  apostle,  1  Cor.  15  :  28, 
being  a  matter  of  manifestation  only ;  as  the  perfect  sove- 
reignty of  the  Deity  must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  be  ever 
the  same. 

The  next  scene  presented  (Rev.  5  :  1-14)  is  still  pre- 


CHORAL   DIVISIONS    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  23 

paratoiy  only  to  the  exhibition  about  being  made ;  that  ex- 
hibition resulting  from  the  opening  of  a  book  in  the  hand 
of  Him  who  sat  upon  the  throne.  The  book  is  sealed 
with  seven  seals.  Some  one  worthy  to  open  the  book  and 
loose  the  seals  thereof  is  called  for;  of  the  immense 
concourse  of  beings  present,  but  one  is  equal  to  the 
task,  and  this  one,  in  appearance,  a  Lamb,  as  it  had  been 
slain ;  himself  an  element  of  the  sovereignty  represented 
by  the  throne.  Immediately  upon  his  taking  the  book 
the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  twenty-four  elders,  pros- 
trate themselves  before  him  and  sing  "  a  new  song,"  as- 
cribing their  redemption  to  him  as  a  reason  for  his  worthi- 
ness to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  its  seals,  being  made 
also  by  him  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  and  thus  caused 
to  reign  on  the  earth ;  that  is,  as  we  shall  see,  on  the  new 
earth. 

As  we  now  confine  ourselves  to  the  construction  only  of 
the  vision,  we  defer  any  remarks  on  this  new  song,  or  those 
who  sing  it  for  the  present ;  but  as  it  is  responded  to  by 
an  immense  multitude  of  angels,  who  join  in  with  the 
chorus  of  the  living  creatures  and  elders,  and  as  it  is  again 
echoed  by  every  created  thing,  and  again  responded  to  by 
the  four  elements  of  sovereignty,  and  the  twenty-four 
elders,  we  can  not  but  compare  the  whole  action  to  the 
strophes  and  antistrophes  of  the  Greek  chorus.  Such  as  it 
is,  we  deem  it  equivalent  to  the  parados  of  the  Greek 
drama,  and  consequently  class  the  matter.  Rev.  5  :  1-7,  as 
the  prologice. 

Revelation  7  :  9-12  furnishes  the  next  chorus  of  many 
voices.  It  is  a  recitative  rather  than  a  song.  The  multi- 
tudes of  nations,  kindreds,  etc.,  in  white  robes,  ascribing 


24     REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

salvation  to  God  and  the  Lamb,*  with  a  response  by  the 
angels  around  the  throne,  the  presbyters  and  the  living 
creatures. 

As  it  is  said,  the  ideal  or  supposed  spectator,  formed  a 
part  of  the  constituents  of  the  Greek  di-ama,  and  occasion- 
ally joined  in  the  chorus,  so  these  multitudes,  whom  no 
man  could  number,  occupy  the  position  of  the  ideal 
audience  on  the  Greek  stage. 

This  second  chorus  of  many  voices,  may  be  termed  the 
first  stasimon,  and  the  intervening  matter,  from  Rev.  6  :  1 
to  V  :  8,  the  first  epeisodio9i,  representing  as  it  does,  the 
commencement  of  the  dramatic  action ;  or  rather  the  state 
of  things  at  that  commencement :  namely,  the  going  forth 
of  the  four  mounted  combatants,  the  cry  of  the  captive  souls 
under  the  altar,  the  great  earthquake,  the  panic  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  in  anticipation  of  the  wrath  of  the 
JOamby  the  hurting  by  the  four  winds,  and  the  sealing  and 
safety  of  the  twelve  thousand  of  each  of  the  twelve  tribes. 

Thus  far,  the  status  only  has  been  exhibited ;  that  is, 
the  scene  and  the  condition  of  things  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  action  of  the  piece.  The  going  out  of  the 
forces,  to  be  engaged  in  the  coming  contest;  the  cry  of  the 
oppressed  for  the  vindication  of  their  cause ;  the  commo- 
tion in  earth  and  heaven,  caused  by  the  hostile  prej^ara- 
tions ;  the  apprehension  of  danger  on  the  part  of  those 
who  previously  maintained  a  despotic  sway,  and  the  secu- 
rity of  all  bearing  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads. 

The  remainder  of  Rev.  V  from  13th  verse,  is  the  lan- 
guage of  a  chorus  of  09ie  voice  ;  explanatory  and  prophetic 

*  God  and  the  Lamb  are  afterwards  seen  to  occupy  the  same  seat  of  sove- 
reigntv. 


CHOKAIi   DIVISIONS    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  25 

of  the  denouement  of  the  piece.  In  the  representation  of  the 
exulting  character  of  these  choral  songs,  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  scene  is  laid  in  heaven ;  and  thus  fore- 
reaches  upon  the  earthly  scenes  afterwards  represented. 
So,  the  prediction  of  one  of  the  elders,  Rev.  1  :  13-17,  is 
represented  as  fulfilled.  Rev.  21  :  4,  6,  and  22  :  3,  4. 

The  third  chorus  of  many  voices  is  described,  Rev.  1 1  : 
15-18 — a  recitative  uttered  by  great  voices  in  heaven, 
and  responded  to  by  the  twenty-four  elements  of  divme 
revelation.  The  matter  between  this  stasimon  and  the 
preceding  comprehends  the  altar-scene  in  heaven,  the  giving 
out  of  the  seven  trumpets,  the  results  of  the  sounding  of 
the  four  first  trumpets,  and  of  the  two  first  woe  trumpets, 
with  the  account  of  the  two  witnesses.  The  matter  of  the 
tenth  chapter  is  accessory;  preparative  and  explanatory 
of  what  follows.  This  third  chorus  ushers  in  the  last  woe 
and  the  sounding  of  the  last  of  the  seven  trumpets.  The 
fourth  chorus  is  described.  Rev.  14  :  2,  3.  The  preceding 
matter  comprehends  the  account  of  the  appearance  of  the 
woman  and  dragon  in  heaven ;  the  war  in  heaven;  the  ex- 
pulsion of  Satan  and  his  angels  from  heaven ;  the  persecu- 
tion of  the  woman  on  earth ;  the  appearance  of  the  ten- 
horned  beast  from  the  sea,  and  the  two-horned  beast  from 
the  land,  with  a  relation  of  their  prosperity  and  power. 

The  song  of  this  chorus  is  uttered  by  the  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand  elements  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemp- 
tion, (as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,)  as  they  stood  around 
the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion.  The  song  may  be  considered  the 
substance  of  all  that  is  revealed  of  that  plan,  and,  of  course, 
no  other  element  could  reveal  the  same ;  as  it  is  said,  "no  one 
could  sing  that  song  but  the  one  himdred  and  forty-four 
2 


26    KEMABKS  ON  THE  FOKM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

thousand"  uncontaminated  elements  of  truth.  Here  the 
scene  is  laid  in  heaven,  as  it  is  also  in  the  matter  following, 
as  far  as  Rev.  15  :  1,  including  the  several  announcements 
of  angelic  heralds ;  the  appearance  of  the  one  like  unto  the 
son  of  man  on  the  white  cloud,  the  harvest,  the  vintage, 
and  its  results. 

The  fifth  chorus  of  many  voices,  (fourth  stasimon,)  is 
sung  by  those  who  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast, 
etc.  They  sing  the  song  of  Moses,  and  the  song  of  the 
Lamb,  being  themselves  those  elements  of  divine  revelation, 
(O.  and  ]Sr.  T.,)  which  virtually  overcome  the  errors  sym- 
bolized by  the  beast  and  his  allies.  The  song  is  prospect- 
ive in  the  order  of  representation ;  the  victory  refen-ed 
to,  being  that  represented  as  having  taken  place  on  earth, 
Rev.  19  :  11-21.  The  armies  in  heaven  following  the 
Word  of  God,  are,  in  fact,  those  here  represented  as  sing- 
ing the  song  of  Moses,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb.  The 
difference  is  between  scenes  in  heaven  and  scenes  on  the 
earth,  without  any  reference  to  difference  of  time ;  the 
first  showing  a  process  in  the  divine  councils ;  the  last  the 
carrying  out  of  those  councils  on  earth. 

The  sixth  and  last  chorus  of  many  voices,  (Rev.  19  : 
1-6,)  immediately  succeeds  the  accounts  given  of  the 
destruction  of  Babylon,  which  accounts  aft-e  expansions  of 
the  relation  given  Rev.  16  :  19,  of  Babylon's  coming  in 
remembrance  before  God  ;  as  the  whole  of  the  remaining 
exhibition  may  be  considered  an  expansion  of  the  summary 
account,  given  of  the  results  of  the  test  applied  to  the  air 
by  the  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial,  (Rev.  16  :  17.) 
The  intervening  matter,  between  the  fifth  chorus  and  the 
sixth,  comprehends  the  scene  in  heaven  of  the  temple,  and 


Hib 


CHOKAL  DIVISIONS   OF  THE  APOCAIiTPSE.  27 

the  giving  out  of  the  seven  vials,  and  the  scenes  on  earth 
of  the  effusion  of  these  vials. 

The  action  of  this  last  chorus,  and  the  representations 
succeeding  it,  may  be  classed  with  the  exodus  of  the 
Greeks ;  the  matter  corresponding  with  what  we  call  the 
catastrophe  ;  as  with  a  httle  attention  we  perceive  in  it  a 
groupmg  together  of  all  the  leading  characters  before 
spoken  of,  with  their  respective  fates,  excepting  only  the 
harlot,  Babylon,  whose  destruction  before  related,  was 
necessary  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  ere  the  bride,  or  true 
wife,  could  make  her  appearance. 

The  admonition.  Rev.  16 :  15,  is  the  language  of  a  chorus 
of  one  voice ;  as  such,  it  may  be  applied  to  the  disciple 
directly ;  but  we  think  it  has  reference  to  the  decisive 
battle,  the  account  of  which,  Rev.  19  :  11,  should  be  con- 
sidered as  immediately  connected  with  it ;  the  intervening 
particulars  respecting  Babylon  (Rev.  17  and  18)  being 
episodical  and  accessory. 

The  particulars  of  Babylon  are  first  given  under  the 
figure  of  a  woman,  in  which  character  she  is  the  opposite 
of  the  wife  of  the  Lamb.  Her  destruction  is  afterwards 
(Rev.  18)  more  particularly  described  as  a  city.  As  such 
she  is  the  opposite  of  the  holy  Jerusalem.  Adhering  to 
this  figure  of  a-  city,  a  chorus  of  one  voice  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  wailing  or  lamentations  (the  commos)  over 
the  destruction  of  Babylon ;  closing  this  account  with  a 
call  upon  the  elements  of  divine  revelation  (apostles  and 
prophets)  to  rejoice  over  the  same  event.  The  scene 
then  exhibits  the  action  of  a  mighty  angel  casting  a  stone 
into  the  sea,  with  which  the  fall  and  end  of  Babylon  is 
compared ;  the  comparison  being  accompanied  with  a  finale 


28    KEMAEKS  ON  THE  POEM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

malediction.  Then  follows  the  last  chorus,  already  alluded 
to,  in  which  the  readiness  of  the  true  wife  of  the  Lamb, 
for  the  marriage  feast,  is  announced;  this  feast  being 
equivalent  to  a  pubUcation  or  manifestation  of  the  mar- 
riage ;  a  rite  symbolical  of  identity  of  being ^  and  thus  rep- 
resentmg  the  Lamb  and  the  Lamb's  wife  as  one  indi- 
vidual. 

Lnmediately  in  connection  with  this  annunciation  of 
the  chorus,  the  scene  of  the  great  battle  of  Armageddon  is 
exhibited.  The  two  contending  parties  are  brought 
together.  The  rider  of  the  white  horse  (he  that  was  fii'st 
seen  going  out  "  a  conqueror  and  to  conquer")  is  here 
again  seen  victorious;  his  enemies  are  overcome — the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies  are  slain  by  the  sword 
of  his  mouth,  and  their  flesh  given  to  the  carrion  birds  of 
the  ah'.  The  beast  and  false  prophet  are  taken  as  ui  a  snare, 
and  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire — Satan  is  bound  in  chains 
in  the  bottomless  pit.  Tribunals  of  judgment,  called  as 
it  were  upon  the  field  of  battle,  assign  rewards  to  those 
who  had  suffered  in  the  cause  of  the  victor — ^the  captives 
under  the  altar,  now  liberated,  and  their  blood  avenged. 
Again,  Satan  having  been  loosed  from  the  pit,  the  na- 
tions (Gentiles)  are  led  on  by  him  to  besiege  the  camp  and 
the  beloved  city.  Fire  from  heaven  destroys  them  aU; 
Satan  is  cast  into  the  burning  lake.  A  great  white  throne 
is  seen — earth  and  heaven  flee  away — the  judgment  of  the 
dead  takes  place,  the  sea  gives  up  its  dead,  and  is  itself 
no  more — death  and  hell  give  up  their  dead,  and  are 
themselves  judged,  condemned,  and  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire.  A  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  appear.  The  bride, 
before   announced  as  ready  for  the   feast,  is  now  seen 


CHORAL   DIVISIONS   OF  THE   APOCALYPSE.  29 

descending  from  God  out  of  heaven,  adorned  for  her 
husband. 

As  in  the  case  of  Babylon,  the  figure  of  a  woman  was 
changed  mto  that  of  a  city;  so  here  the  figure  of  the 
bride  of  the  Lamb  is  changed  into  that  of  the  holy  city — 
the  new  Jerusalem.  And  as  the  particulars  were  before 
given  of  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  and  of  the  lamenta- 
tions over  her  fall ;  the  particulars  are  now  given  of  the 
glory  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  and  of  the  abundant  provi- 
sion for  eternal  life  with  which  she  is  furnished.  Such  is 
the  grouping  of  characters  and  of  circumstances  be- 
longiQg  to  the  exodus  of  the  apocalypse,  constituting  what 
we  think  may  very  properly  be  termed  the  catastrophe. 

The  tissue  of  the  exhibition,  resulting  fi*om  the  opening 
of  the  sealed  book,  having  been  thus  concluded,  the  re- 
mainder of  the  vision,  fi-om  Rev.  22  :  16,  may  be  consider- 
ed in  the  place  of  an  epilogue,  being,  in  the  nature  of  the 
case,  a  comment  upon  the  representation  previously  made. 

Note. — "  The  many-voiced  chorus"  is  said  to  have  divided  the  ancient 
Greek  tragedy  into  a  certain  number  of  parts.  By  some,  these  divisions 
are  limited  to  four,  five,  or  six.  Others  are  of  opinion  that  the  number 
varied  according  to  circumstances,  and  could  not  be  limited.  Not  deeming 
the  number  important,  our  divisions  are  intended  only  to  show  the  general 
resemblance  of  arrangement. 

In  each  of  our  choral  divisions  (acts)  there  must  be  supposed  certain 
changes  of  scene ;  changes  made  not  only  during  the  action  of  a  chorus,  but 
also  occasionally  in  the  intervening  representations.  The  apostle's  position 
does  not  change,  but,  as  a  privileged  spectator  in  heaven,  he  sees,  or  has  an 
account  given  him  of  things  taking  place,  at  one  time  in  heaven,  and  at  an- 
other on  the  earth.  It  is  of  some  importance  to  keep  this  distinction  in 
mind,  otherwise  there  would  seem  to  be  occasionally  a  repetition,  as  in  the 
proclamation  of  the  fall  of  Babylon,  first  made  in  heaven,  afterwards  on  the 
earth. 

The  whole  representation  must  be  supposed  to  take  place  under  the  eye 


30    EEMAEKS  ON  THE  FOEM  OP  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

of  Him  who  sat  upon  the  throne.  The  throne,  therefore,  with  the  four  liv- 
ing creatures,  and  the  twenty-four  elders,  and  the  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host  round  about  the  throne,  are  to  be  contemplated  as  occupying  the  back- 
ground of  the  scene  throughout;  the  changes  taking  place  in  the  fore- 
ground. As  it  is  said  of  the  Greek  drama,  an  entire  exhibition  may  be  sup- 
posed to  take  place  in  the  court  and  presence  of  the  sovereign ;  so  indeed 
we  might  say  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  that  God  hath  purposed  it 
for  his  own  pleasure  and  for  his  own  glory.  It  is  something  which  he 
himself  contemplates  with  pecuhar  delight. 

By  scenes  in  heaven  and  scenes  on  the  earth,  we  mean  such  on\j  figu7'a- 
tively  speaking.  The  apostle  in  vision  witnesses  certain  pictorial  represen- 
tations ;  some  as  in  heaven,  and  some  as  in  earth.  The  first  reveals  the  de- 
terminations in  the  counsels  of  the  Most  High  ;  the  second,  the  carrying  into 
effect  of  those  counsels ;  both  equally  symbolical,  and  alike  important  to  the 
reader,  as  bearing  a  strict  analogy  with  the  truths  and  errors  represented 
in  them. 

We  shall  notice  the  changes  of  scenery  more  particularly  hereafter. 


PLOT   AND   UNITY    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  31 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PLOT  OP  THE  APOCALYPSE — ^ITS  UNITY,  AS  EXHIBITED  IN  THE 
PEOGEESS  OF  ITS  PEINCIPAL  CHAEACTEE. 

Having  in  the  preceding  chapter  gone  over  the  choral 
divisions  of  the  Apocalypse,  we  are  now  to  take  a  view  of 
the  plot  of  this  sacred  composition,  the  better  to  perceive 
the  unity  of  the  piece,  the  connection  of  its  several  parts, 
and  its  principal  character,  preparatory  to  ascertaining  its 
tnyth  and  the  lesson  it  conveys. 

Assuming  the  form  of  the  book  of  Revelation  to  be 
dramatic,  the  suggestion  occurs  to  us  that,  if  dramatic, 
there  must  be  something  in  the  representation  like  the 
progress  of  a  distinguished  individual,  a  warrior  perhaps, 
whose  course  is  to  be  traced  from  the  commencement  to 
the  end ;  the  issue  or  catastrophe  showing  the  drift  of  the 
narrative,  and  indicating  the  particular  instruction  to  be 
drawn  from  it. 

Such  a  character  being  supposed,  there  must  be  enemies 
with  whom  he  has  to  contend ;  there  must  be  a  cause  for 
the  contest,  and  obstacles  to  overcome  :  we  wish  to  know 
what  the  object  of  the  war  is,  who  the  enemies  are,  and 
what  will  be  the  triumph  of  the  victor. 

In  the  epistles  to  the  seven  churches,  we  find  certain 
promises  made  to  one,  whoever  this  may  be,  who  proves 
to  be  the  conqueror  in  a  certain  contest  m  contemplation. 


32    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

This  individual  is  spoken  of  throughout,  in  the  singular 
number,  as  the  conquering  (one),  or  he  that  conquers. 
There  are  several  different  rewards  promised,  but  appar- 
ently they  are  all  destined  for  the  same  victor.  Some  of 
the  promises,  besides,  are  of  such  a  peculiar  character  that 
we  can  only  apply  them  to  one  being,  and  that  one  must 
be  something  more  than  human. 

We  have  thus  two  means  of  ascertaining  who  the  fa- 
vored individual  may  be :  firs%  the  course  of  the  narrative 
and  its  results,  from  which  we  learn  who  is  in  fact  the  vic- 
torious leader,  finally  overcoming  every  hostile  power; 
second^  in  the  event  of  the  success  of  the  personage  thus 
pointed  out,  we  have  to  compare  the  promises  made,  with 
their  fulfillment  to  him. 

The  dramatic  action  of  the  Apocalypse,  as  we  have 
noticed,  commences  with  the  opening  of  the  first  seal. 
Here  we  are  at  once  struck  with  the  description  of  a  war- 
rior, going  forth  as  a  conqueror  and  to  conquer^  or  over- 
coming and  to  overcome.*  He  goes  forth  upon  a  white 
horse,  armed  with  a  bow.  Is  this  the  conqueror?  He 
has  triumphed  hitherto.  Is  he  to  do  so  stiU?  Three 
other  combatants  go  forth  at  the  same  time.  Are  these 
his  enemies  ?  will  he  triumph  over  them  ?  and  what  others 
has  he  to  overcome  ?  We  lose  sight  of  all  four  of  these 
for  some  time  in  the  subsequent  representation,  although 
they  may  be  supposed  to  act  on  several  occasions,  by 
their  respective  forces,  as  through  so  many  instrumentah- 
ties.  The  rider  of  the  white  horse  is  the  only  one  who 
reappears  personally  on  the  field  as  a  combatant. 

*  The  Greek  term  is  the  same  for  both  of  these  English  terms. 


PLOT   AND    UNITY    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  33 

On  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book,  the 
Lamb,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  is  said  to  have  over- 
come to  open  the  seals ;  but  we  do  not  consider  this  the 
contest  in  contemplation. 

On  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  we  hear  of  the  cry 
of  certain  captives  (souls  under  the  altar)  for  the  vin- 
dication of  their  cause — we  want  to  know  whether  the 
conqueror  succeeds  in  delivering  them,  or  in  avenging 
their  blood ;  and  on  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  a  panic- 
stricken  multitude  is  represented  fleeing  from  the  wrath 
of  the  Lamb^  as  in  dread  of  some  invading  foe — ^we  want 
to  know  whether  the  conqueror  is  on  the  side  of  the  Lamb, 
or  one  of  this  multitude.  Further  on  we  find  a  beast 
from  the  bottomless  pit,  spoken  of  as  having  conquered 
and  even  slain  the  two  witnesses,  notwithstanding  the  ex- 
traordinary powers  given  them  to  destroy  their  enemies. 

Is  this  beast,  then,  the  conqueror?  where  is  the  rider  of 
the  white  horse  ?  has  he,  too,  fallen  under  the  power  of  the 
beast  ?  Waiting  the  issue  in  suspense,  our  anxiety  is 
somewhat  relieved  by  the  account  given  of  the  "  war  in 
heaven."  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dra- 
gon and  his  angels,  and  the  dragon  and  his  angels  were 
cast  down  from  heaven  to  earth,  the  brethren  having 
C07iquered  him  (the  dragon)  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
Here  the  Lamb  appears  as  the  victor,  by  the  power  of  his 
blood.  But  this  is  a  war  in  heaven ;  the  dragon  is  still  un- 
subdued on  earth,  although  upon  earth  he  may  contend 
under  diiferent  characters ;  as  in  the  beast  from  the  bot- 
tomless pit — the  murderer  of  the  two  witnesses. 

There  are  now,  apparently,  two  conquerors  in  their  re- 
spective fields — the  Lamb  in  heaven,  the  dragon  upon 
2* 


34    REMAEKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

earth.  If  these  two  powerful  combatants  meet,  "  which," 
it  may  be  asked,  "  will  be  the  conqueror  ?  "  For  a  time 
they  seem  destined  to  avoid  each  other;  reminding  us 
of  the  contest  between  Turnus  and  Eneas  in  the  epic  of 
Virgil.  We  have  still  the  impression  that  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse  will  appear  again,  and  if  so,  that  he  will  be 
on  the  side  of  the  Lamb. 

We  do  not  find  the  Lamb,  as  such,  appearing  in  the 
field  on  earth ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  dragon,  as  if 
to  avoid  being  recognized  in  his  proper  character,  com- 
mits his  cause  to  a  substitute ;  transferring  his  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns,  his  throne,  his  power,  and  great  authority, 
to  the  beast  from  the  sea.  This  beast,  the  impersonation 
of  Satan  himself,  makes  war  with  the  saints,  and,  it  is  said, 
overcomes  or  conquers  them. 

On  the  other  side,  the  Lamb  is  in  heaven;  and  on  earth, 
instead  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  we  know  only  of  a 
persecuted  woman,  whose  child,  for  its  own  preservation, 
has  been  taken  from  her,  and  who  is  now  driven  into  the 
wilderness — while  the  vicegerent  of  Satan  not  only  sus- 
tains himself  but  upholds  also  in  her  power  and  hcen- 
tiousness,  a  female  sovereign,  of  so  vile  a  character  as  to  be 
tenned  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth. 

Is  this  beast,  then,  the  conqueror  ?  Are  we  to  join  in  the 
acclamations  of  his  subjects:  "Who  is  hke  unto  the 
beast?  who  is  able  to  make  war  -with  him?"  We  can 
not  beheve  it.  The  malediction  of  the  Most  High  is 
pronounced  in  heaven  upon  this  element  of  error  and  his 
adherents ;  he  is  denounced,  according  to  the  number  of 
his  name,  as  the  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christy  and  all 


PLOT   AND    UNITY    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  35 

who  bear  the  mark  of  his  title  are  to  share  his  fate — the 
fate  of  his  consort  (his  image)  having  been  already  also 
announced.  Besides  this,  it  is  predicted  of  the  ten  kings, 
rej^resented  by  the  ten  horns  of  this  beast,  that  they  shall 
be  conquered  by  the  Lamb,  who  is  declared  to  be  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  Still,  we  have  two  conquerors 
before  us,  each  claiming  the  supremacy:  the  Lamb  on 
the  one  side,  and  the  beast,  the  representative  of  the  dra- 
gon, on  the  other.  As  to  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  we 
are  almost  disposed  to  say  as  the  children  of  Israel  did  of 
Moses :  "  We  know  not  what  has  become  of  him." 

We  are  now,  however,  about  being  reheved  from  this 
state  of  suspense.  Preparations  are  being  made  for  a  bat- 
tle, which  is  to  decide  in  a  great  measure  the  question  be- 
tween these  two  hostile  powers.  The  dragon,  the  beast, 
and  the  false  prophet,  have  sent  their  emissaries  to  the 
kings  of  the  whole  earth,  to  summon  them  to  the  great 
struggle,  about  to  be  made  with  the  heavenly  powers. 
And  the  Supreme  Kuler  of  events  also  has  so  ordered  it 
that  the  meeting  takes  place  on  his  own  chosen  ground^ 
(the  Mount  of  the  Gospel.) 

The  contending  forces  are  seen  in  battle  array  against 
each  other,  the  beast  and  his  vizier,  and  the  kings  of  the 
earth  with  their  armies,  on  one  side,  and  the  rider  of 
the  white  horse,  who  now  makes  his  long  wished  for 
appearance,  with  his  armies,  on  the  other  side ;  while,  pro- 
phetic of  victory  on  the  side  of  the  latter,  a  herald  sum- 
mons  birds  of  prey  to  feast  upon  the  flesh  of  the  slain. 

The  charge  of  the  heavenly  cavalry,  under  the  con- 
duct of  the  Word  of  God  (as  the  name  of  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse  is  now  called)  is  irresistible — ^the  contest  is 


36         REMARKS    ON   THE   FORM    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE. 

soon  over  ;  it  is  as  when  the  same  Word  spake  and  it  was 
done  ;  when  he  said,  "  Let  there  be  Hght,  and  there  was 
light."  The  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are  taken,  ac- 
cording to  the  Greek,  as  in  a  snare.  The  kings  of  the 
earth  and  their  armies  are  slain  by  the  sword  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Word  of  God.  The  beast  and  the  false  pro- 
phet are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  and  Satan  himself,  the  au- 
thor and  instigator  of  the  war,  is,  as  a  result  of  the  victory, 
confined,  bound  with  a  great  chain,  in  the  bottomless  pit. 

There  can  be  no  hesitation,  now,  in  fixing  upon  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse  as  preeminently  the  conqueror. 
In  the  description  given  of  him,  (Rev.  19  :  13,)  he  is  caUed 
the  Word  of  God,  but  he  wears  also  the  insignia  of  the 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  and  is  destined,  as  it  is 
declared  of  him,  to  rule  the  nations  with  a  sceptre  of  iron. 
He  is  thus  identified  with  the  Lamb,  as  well  as  with  the 
child  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne,  for  preservation 
fi'om  the  jaws  of  the  dragon.  All  the  conquests  or  vic- 
tories before  ascribed,  therefore,  to  the  Lamb,  are  equally 
those  of  the  Word  of  God. 

In  heaven,  the  Lamb  contends  with  and  overcomes  the 
ten  kings,  (the  ten  horns  of  the  dragon.)  On  earth,  under 
the  appellation  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  same  being  con- 
tends with  and  overcomes  the  representatives  of  the  dra- 
gon and  their  allies.  There  is,  in  fact,  but  one  conqueror. 
It  is,  however,  especially  in  reference  to  the  contest  on 
earth,  that  we  are  to  contemplate  the  conqueror  as  the 
recipient  of  the  promised  rewards.  In  heaven,  or  in  the 
heavenly  counsels,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  overcomes  the 
accusations  of  Satan,  (the  dragon ;)  on  earth  the  Lamb,  in 
the  person  of  the  Word  of  God,  executes  that  wrath  which 


PLOT   AND    UNITY    OP   THE   APOCALYPSE.  Si 

was  the  cause  of  so  much  dread  on  the  part  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth,  as  exhibited  on  the  opening  of  the 
sixth  seal — a  dread  well  founded,  as  appears  by  the  issue 
of  the  battle  just  described. 

But  the  execution  of  this  wrath  was  not  the  only  object 
of  the  contest.  The  souls  in  captivity  under  the  altar 
were  to  be  released,  and  their  cause  vindicated.  So  we 
find  immediately  after  the  victory  gained  by  the  Word  of 
God,  and  the  destruction  of  their  enemies,  these  souls  not 
only  released,  but  even  raised  to  tribunals  of  judgment, 
being  made  virtually  judges  in  the  cause  for  which  they 
had  before  suffered. 

But  there  was  yet  another  battle  to  be  fought,  and 
a  siege  to  be  raised.  Satan,  loosed  from  his  prison,  gathers 
together  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  lays  siege  to  the 
camp  of  the  saints,  and  the  holy  city.  Here  he  is  defeated, 
as  it  is  said,  hjjlrefrom  God  out  of  heaven.  This  would 
appear,  at  first  sight,  as  something  in  which  the  rider  of 
the  white  horse  had  no  part ;  but  that  warrior  is  the  Word 
of  God,  and  the  Word  of  God  is  afire.  Fire  from  heaven 
— a  revelation  of  the  divine  will  or  purpose.  The  conqueror 
is  the  same,  the  symbolic  figure  only  is  changed.  So, 
immediately  after  this  victory,  we  find  the  white  horse 
exchanged  for  a  white  throne,  the  Word  of  God  bemg 
now  ftiUy  revealed  as  the  Jiat  of  divine  sovereignty  itseJf. 
Before  or  by  that  Word  of  God,  the  elements  or  princi- 
ples of  doctrine,  represented  as  the  dead,  (apparently  those 
slain  in  the  great  battle  of  Armageddon,)  are  judged,  and 
with  these,  the  rider  of  the  greefi  horse.  Death,  and  the 
Hell  that  followed  with  him.  These  both  are  not  only 
judged,  but  are  also  cast  into  the  burning  lake.    We  do 


38    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

not  rest  our  proof,  however,  of  the  identity  of  the  Word 
of  God  with  the  Lamb,  upon  his  titles  alone.  The  course 
of  the  narration  will  lead  us  to  the  same  result. 

The  rider  of  the  white  horse  is  not  spoken  of  as  such,  after 
the  relation  of  the  great  battle  of  Armageddon ;  but  almost 
coincident  mth  that  victory,  a  personage  not  before  recog- 
nized, is  introduced.  The  wife  of  the  Lamb  is  said  to  have 
made  herself  ready  for  the  marriage  feast;  as  if,  prior  to 
this,  although  the  true  wife,  she  had  not  been  known  as 
such,  another  female,  of  a  different  character,  having  usurped 
her  place  in  pubUc  estimation.  That  hindrance  being  re- 
moved by  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  the  true  wife  is 
prepared  to  take  her  place  at  the  festal  board,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  those  who  are  to  bear  witness  to  the  celebration. 

The  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  imder 
her  feet,  was  no  other  than  this  wife  of  the  Lamb ;  her 
infant  being  a  type  of  the  element  of  propitiation,  origin- 
ating from  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  and  on  other 
occasions  represented  by  the  Lamb  himself.  Driven  into 
the  wilderness  by  the  persecution  of  the  dragon,  she  was 
there  in  seclusion  during  the  reign  of  the  beast  and  that 
of  the  harlot.  Prepared,  as  she  is  said  to  be,  for  the  feast, 
she  may  now  be  considered  as  coming  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness, like  her  of  whom  inquiry  is  made :  "  Who  is  this 
that  Cometh  from  the  wilderness,  leaning  on  her  beloved?" 
She  does  not,  however,  actually  make  her  appearance  till 
after  the  great  changes  we  have  alluded  to  as  resulting 
from  the  judgment  of 'him  who  sat  upon  the  white  throne^ 
and  the  fleeing  away  of  the  old  earth  and  the  old  heaven. 
Then,  when  all  things  are  made  new,  when  there  is  a  new 
lieaven  and  a  new  earth,  and  no  more  sea,  the  bride  of  the 


PLOT   AND   UNITY    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE.  39 

Lamb  is  seen,  not  merely  coming  out  of  the  wilderness, 
but  descending  from  God  out  of  heaven.  We  then  find 
the  wife  of  the  Lamb  to  be  the  new,  the  holy  Jerusalem, 
the  holy  city,  of  which  the  apostle  Paul  speaks  as  "Jeru- 
salem above,"  and  which  he  tells  us  is  the  7iew  covenant^ 
the  opposite  of  that  represented  by  the  bondmaid. 

This  new  covenant  is  thus  represented,  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse, as  the  bride  or  wife  of  the  Lamb.  It  is  the  divine 
plan  of  salvation  by  grace  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice 
of  Christ ;  the  opposite  of  the  old  covenant,  or  plan  of 
salvation  by  works  of  the  law.  The  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion is  the  mind  or  purpose  of  God ;  and  that  mind  or 
purpose  is  the  Word  of  God — the  Word,  or  logos^  of 
which  John  speaks  in  his  Gospel,  as  havmg  been  imper- 
sonated in  Jesus  Christ.  The  wife  or  bride  of  the  Lamb, 
being  thus  a  figure  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  and 
the  rider  of  the  white  horse  being  also  a  figure  of  the  same 
divine  purpose,  the  two  figures  represent  the  same  thing, 
being  changed  only  to  correspond  with  the  circumstances 
of  the  representation  for  which  they  are  employed. 

When  the  illustration  of  a  contest  was  requii-ed,  the 
figure  of  a  conqueror  was  made  use  of,  and  such  was  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse  ;  but  all  enemies  having  been  sub- 
dued, a  different  truth  is  to  be  illustrated.  It  is  to  be 
shown,  that  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Lamb  are  one  and 
the  same  individual.  This  is  done  by  the  figure  of  a  mar- 
riage— a  rite  by  which  two  individuals  are  accounted  one. 
The  symbol  of  the  warrior  is  thus  laid  aside.  The  bride, 
or  wife,  now  represents  the  Word  of  God,  (the  conqueror,) 
and  the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  being  one  with  her  husband, 


40    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

the  Word  of  God  and  the  Lamb  are  manifested  to  be  the 
same  being. 

In  the  subsequent  description,  therefore,  of  the  glorious 
appearance  of  the  holy  Jerusalem,  all  that  is  said  of  the 
city,  is,  in  fact,  a  symbolical  illustration  of  the  attributes 
of  the  Word  of  God;  in  other  words,  the  attributes,  or 
rather  the  features,  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace. 
So,  at  the  close  of  the  narration,  the  Lamb  of  God  being 
spoken  of  as  occupying  the  same  seat  of  divine  sovereignty 
as  God,  he  is  identified  with  God.  The  Lamb  and  the 
Word  of  God  being  also  one,  it  follows,  that  the  Word  of 
God,  or  the  conqueror,  enjoys  the  triumph  of  a  throne. 

We  have  thus  traced  in  the  Apocalypse,  the  progress 
of  a  distinguished  character,  such  as  comports  with  the 
composition  of  a  dramatic  or  epic  work.  The  subject  of 
the  representation  is  the  conduct  of  a  war.  The  cause  of 
the  war  is  the  state  of  rebellion  of  a  certain  class,  figura- 
tively spoken  of  as  the  inhabitants  of,  or  dwellers  upon, 
the  earth,  or  men  of  the  earth.  The  rebels  have 
sustained  themselves  against  their  lawful  sovereign  for  a 
long  time.  They  have  imprisoned  and  shed  the  blood  of 
the  faitliful  subjects  of  the  sovereign.  The  evil  having 
reached  its  height,  preparations  are  made  by  the  sovereign 
for  the  complete  subjection  of  these  his  enemies.  Very 
extraordinary  rewards  are  promised  to  the  warrior  who 
may  subdue  them.  A  champion,  one  who  has  before 
distinguished  himself  by  his  victories,  midertakes  the  task. 
He  is  seen  going  forth.  The  wrath  of  the  sovereign  is 
now  known  to  be  about  being  inflicted,  and  the  rebels,  in 
their  panic  fear,  are  fleeing  to  their  places  of  refuge.   They 


PLOT   AND   UNITY    OF  THE   APOCALYPSE.  41 

are  of  all  classes,  from  kings,  or  chiefs,  down  even  to  the 
bondsman  or  slave. 

The  first  operation  of  the  war  consists  in  destroying  the 
resources  of  the  enemies  of  the  offended  sovereign.  This 
is  represented  symbolically,  by  the  action  of  certain  phy- 
sical phenomena,  and  of  venemous  animals,  (as  the  locust 
of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  the  serpent-tailed  horses,  with 
their  riders,  from  the  Euphrates.)  To  these  preparatory 
measures  may  be  added  the  prophesying  of  the  witnesses 
in  sackcloth. 

Here  our  attention  is  called  from  the  rebel  scene  of 
action,  to  the  councils  of  the  sovereign.  A  traitor  in  those 
councils,  who  proves  to  be  really  the  instigator  of  the  re- 
bellion, seeks  the  destruction  of  an  infant,  known  to  be 
the  heir  of  the  sovereign.  Failing  in  this  object,  he  di- 
rects his  hostility  against  the  mother,  who,  although  her- 
self the  wife  of  a  sovereign,  is  obhged  to  seek  shelter  in  a 
wilderness.  Meantime,  the  traitor  subject,  who  has  been 
expelled  from  the  comicils  of  the  sovereign,  provides  the 
rebels  with  a  chief  of  his  own  making,  giving  to  this  chief 
all  his  own  power  and  great  authority.  This  pretender  to 
the  throne  is  readily  received,  reverenced,  and  obeyed  by 
the  rebels.  These  rebels,  hitherto  spoken  of  only  as  a  peo- 
ple, or  an  assemblage  of  nations  without  a  leader,  are  now 
to  be  viewed  as  an  organized  body.  Their  chief,  or  ruler, 
with  imperial  sway,  and  by  the  advice  of  his  prime  min- 
isters, the  better  to  confirm  his  power,  sustains  the  infamous 
female  before  alluded  to,  as  a  substitute  for  the  persecuted 
mother  of  the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne. 

While  a  picture  is  given  of  the  prosperity  of  these  ad- 
verse powers,  various  developments  of  the  councils  of  the 


42    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

true  sovereign  afford  the  assurance  that  this  prosperity  is 
to  be  of  short  duration.  An  account  is  first  given  of  the 
miserable  end  of  the  female  pretender,  opening  a  way  to  a 
restoration  of  the  persecuted  wife  to  the  position  to  which 
she  is  entitled.  The  conqueror,  who  previously  had  been 
operating  through  the  instrumentaUty  of  his  agents,  at 
length  appears  in  person,  with  his  forces  in  battle  array, 
the  rebels,  with  the  pretender  to  sovereignty,  being  also 
gathered  together  in  all  their  strength.  The  champion, 
by  whom  the  cause  of  the  true  sovereign  was  first  under- 
taken, obtains  a  decisive  victory ;  enemies  are  destroyed ; 
captives  Hberated;  the  faithful  subjects  are  rewarded; 
the  rebellious  are  punished,  the  conqueror  being  judge. 
The  true  wife,  revealed  fi^-om  heaven,  is  seen  in  her  glorious 
array,  and  the  denouement  of  the  piece  exhibits  the  con- 
queror himself  the  possessor  of  undisputed  sovereignty. 

Such  is  the  ^lot:  the  subject,  the  execution  of  the 
wrath  of  a  sovereign;  the  cause  of  this  wrath,  a  rebellion; 
the  result  of  the  contest,  the  complete  subjugation  of  all 
opposing  powers,  the  destruction  of  the  incorrigible  rebels 
as  well  as  of  theh'  leaders,  and  the  final  triumph  of  the 
victor.  Accessory  to  these  scenes  is  the  preservation  of 
an  infant,  the  heir  to  the  throne,  together  with  the  resto- 
ration of  a  persecuted  woman  to  her  position  as  the  wife 
of  the  true  sovereign.  So  much  for  the  external  character 
of  the  representation;  the  myth  of  the  piece  is  to  be 
gathered  fi'om  the  analogical  meaning  of  this  symbolic 
exterior.  Of  this  we  shall  treat  hereafter,  having  first  to 
produce  a  confirmation  of  our  views  of  the  conqueror,  by 
comparing  the  promises  of  reward  mth  their  fulfillment. 


PROMISES  TO  THE   CONQUEROR.  43 


CHAPTER    V. 

PROMISES  TO   THE   VICTORIOUS   CHAMPION,  AND   THEIR   FUL- 
FILLMENT. 

Starting  with  the  supposition,  derived  from  the  narra- 
tive, that  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  represented  succes- 
sively as  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,) 
the  Lamb's  wife,  and  the  holy  Jerusalem,  is  the  conqueror, 
to  whom  the  promises  ia  the  epistles  to  the  churches 
have  been  given,  we  are  now  to  see  in  what  manner  these 
promises  have  been  fulfilled. 

The  first  promise  is  in  the  letter  to  the  Ephesian  angel : 
"  To  him  that  conquereth  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of 
life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  Paradise  of  God."  (Rev. 
2:7.) 

To  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  is  to  be  nourished  by  its  fruits, 
even  so  as  to  be  identified  with  it,  {accounted  the  same :) 
as  to  participate  in  the  merits  of  Christ,  is  to  be  accounted 
one  with  him,*  (John  6  :  48-55.)  Such  participation,  being 
the  means  of  eternal  life,  is  not  merely  tasting,  but  living 
upon  the  food  or  fruit  alluded  to,  as  the  manna  of  the 
wilderness  was  to  the  Israelites  their  only  article  of  food, 
(John  6  :  56,  57.) 

We  have  shown  elsewheref  that  the  tree  of  life  is  a 

*  Corresponding  with  the  mystery  represented  by  the  Lord's  Supper. 

t  §47. 


44         EEMARKS   ON  THE   FORM   OF   THE  APOOAIiTPSE. 

figurative  expression  (equivalent  to  that  of  the  a'oss  of 
Christ)  for  the  divine  will,  purpose,  mind,  or  Word  (logos) 
of  God.  This  Word  being  the  conqueror,  the  promise  is 
fulfilled  by  the  manifestation  of  the  identity  of  that  Word 
with  the  tree  spoken  of.  In  addition  to  this,  we  notice  at 
the  close  of  the  representatioji  (Rev.  22  :  2)  that  the  tree 
of  life  grows  in  the  midst  of  the  street  of  the  holy  city, 
which  city  can  be  no  other  than  the  Paradise  of  God  refer- 
red to  in  the  promise. 

We  have  shown  from  the  course  of  the  narrative,  that 
the  Word  of  God  is  identical  with  the  wife  of  the  Lamb, 
the  holy  Jerusalem,  or  Paradise  of  God,  and  that  the  fruit 
of  the  tree  is  the  food  provided  for  the  city.  Thus  the 
conqueror  (the  Word)  has  the  fruit  of  this  tree  not  merely 
for  tasting,  but  for  sustenance.  The  tree  bears  twelve 
manner  of  fruits,  but  they  are  all  the  product  of  the  same 
plant.  The  victorious  Word  is  the  holy  city,  and  as  such  is 
nouiished  by  the  tree  of  life.  So,  we  may  say  analogically, 
the  divine  plan  of  salvation  depends  for  its  efficiency  (vi- 
tahty)  upon  the  provision  peculiar  to  it,  the  imputable 
righteousness  of  Christ.  As  the  literal  cross  bore  the 
material  body  of  Christ,  so  the  sovereign  will  or  purpose 
of  God,  (the  tree,  or  cross,)  yields  its  provision  for  eternal 
life,  the  righteousness  and  atonement  (the  flesh  and  blood) 
of  Christ.  As  this  is  the  predominant  feature  of  the  divine 
plan  of  salvation,  so  the  tree  of  life  is  found  all  over  the 
city,  on  both  sidee  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life ;  one 
element  of  eternal  life  depending  on  the  other :  where  the 
river  flows  the  tree  grows. 

The  second  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  Smyrnean 


PEOMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEROR.  45 

angel,  (Rev.  2  :  11:)  "He  that  overcometh  shall  not  be 
hurt  *  (unjustified)  of,  from,  or  by  the  second  death." 

The  second  death  is  the  lake  of  fire,  (Rev.  19  :  20 ;  20  : 
14, 15,)  the  unending  trial,  to  which  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet,  and  the  devil,  and  death,  and  hell,  and  all 
not  written  in  the  book  of  life,  are  condemned. 

The  book  of  life,  or  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  we  take  to 
be  another  figure  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  the  Word 
(logos)  of  God,  corresponding  with  the  wife  of  the  Lamb, 
the  cross,  and  the  tree  of  life.  The  Word  of  God  is  not 
only  written  in  the  book  of  life,  he  is  himself  the  book  of 
life,  the  whole  purport  of  the  book  of  life  being  the 
same  divine  purpose  of  salvation  as  that  represented  by 
the  Word  of  God. 

All  not  written  in  the  book  of  life,  are  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire,  but  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  being  the 
Word  of  God,  is  written  in  the  book  of  life,  and  is,  therefore, 
not  subject  to  this  second  death.  The  Lamb,  the  wife  of 
the  Lamb,  the  holy  city,  the  tree  of  life,  the  Word  of 
God,  are  all  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life;  they 
can  not,  therefore,  be  hur%  or  unjustified,  by  the  second 
death. 

The  revealed  word  of  God  is  declared  by  God  himself 
(Jer.  23  :  29)  to  be  fire.  It  is  the  fire  that  is  to  try  every 
principle  and  every  doctrine,  (1.  Cor.  3  :  13.)  The  Word 
of  God,  (the  divine  purpose  of  grace,)  exposed  to  this  trial, 
must,  like  the  faithfiil  Hebrews,  come  out  fi'om  it  unhurt; 
not  even  the  smell  of  fire  passing  over  it.  Such  we  con- 
sider the  fulfillment  of  the  promise. 

The  third  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the 

*  §56. 


46    KEMAEKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

church  of  Pergamos,  (Rev.  2:17:)  "To  him  that  over- 
cometh  (conquereth)  I  will  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  man- 
na ;  and  wiU  give  him  a  lohite  stone,  and  upon  the  stone  a 
new  name  written,  which  no  one  knoweth  saving  he  that 
receiveth  it." 

The  hidden  manna  and  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  are 
but  different  expressions  of  the  same  thing ;  that  is,  the 
righteousness  or  merits  of  Christ,  the  true  bread  of  life, 
(Jno.  6  :  32,  33.)  Here,  as  m  the  first  promise,  the  fulfill- 
ment consists  in  the  manifestation  of  the  sameness  or  one- 
ness of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  holy  city. 

The  tree  of  life,  a  real  bread-fruit  tree,  furnishes  the 
holy  city  with  its  provision  for  eternal  life.  The  rider  of 
the  white  horse  (the  conqueror)  is  that  city,  and  to  him  it 
is  given  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  (the  bread  that  comes 
down  from  heaven,)  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  m 
the  midst  of  the  city.  As  the  city  represents  the  Word, 
or  divine  covenant  of  grace,  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is 
to  that  covenant  what  the  hidden  manna,  or  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  life,  is  to  the  New  Jerusalem. 

But  there  is  another  mark  of  distinction  connected  with 
this  promise,  particularly  calculated  to  point  out  the  rider 
of  the  white  horse  as  the  conqueror,  and  as  the  recipient 
of  the  reward  held  forth :  the  white  stone,  with  the  new 
name  wi'itten  or  engraved  upon  it,  which  no  one  knows 
but  he  that  receives  it. 

The  Greek  word  translated  white^  properly  signifies 
bright,  lucid,  transparent,  corresponding  with  the  descrip- 
tion of  a  splendid  precious  stone,*  upon  which  a  name  or 

*  In  our  former  work,  we  had  not  noticed  this  pecuUarity,  and  accord- 
ingly lost  sight  of  the  more  correct  view  now  afforded.  (?§  fifi,  67.) 


PROMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEROK.  47 

title  might  be  engraved.  Such  is  apparently  the  stone 
alluded  to. 

In  the  account  given  (Rev.  19  :  12)  of  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,)  it  is  said  "  he  had  a 
name  written  which  no  07ie  knew  but  himself,"  the  name 
so  far  corresponding  with  the  promise  ;  but  the  stone  is  not 
mentioned.  It  is  said,  however,  that  on  his  head  were 
many  diadems;  as  the  Greek  word,  translated  crow7is, 
should  have  been  rendered. 

The  diadem  is  well  known  to  have  been  the  insignia  of 
imperial  power.  A  regal  crown  is  usually  of  some  metal- 
lic subtance.  The  eastern  diadem,  it  is  said,  consisted  of  a 
shawl  woven  or  interwoven  after  the  manner  of  a  turban 
for  the  head.  In  the  times  of  the  Roman  Emperors  the 
diadem  was  a  plain  fillet  or  band,  of  a  fine  texture,  orna- 
mented with  one  or  more  precious  stones.  A  name  engrav- 
en upon  a  diadem,  must  consequently  be  graven  upon  the 
precious  stone  or  brilUant  with  which  it  is  decorated.  Thus, 
we  may  presume,  in  the  case  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse, 
that  the  possession  of  the  name,  of  the  pecuhar  character 
designated,  implies  the  possession  of  the  precious  stone  or 
brilliant,  upon  which  that  name  is  engraved.  He,  there- 
fore, whose  "  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God,"  and  who, 
according  to  the  narrative,  overcomes  the  beast  and  his 
allies,  must  be  the  recipient  of  the  reward  here  promised. 
What  the  name  alluded  to  may  be,  it  is  not  for  us  ia  this 
connection  to  inquire.  To  know  it  would  be  a  contradic- 
tion in  terms ;  for  if  it  were  known  to  any  one  else  than 
him  who  received  it,  it  would  not  be  the  name  designated. 
Neither  is  it  material  for  us  to  inquire  whether  the  in- 
scription on  the  stone  be  a  name  or  a  title  ;  as  Jehovah  is 
the  proper  name  of  the  Supreme  Bemg  while  the  terms 


48    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

God,  and  Lord,  and  King  of  kings,  are  only  titles.  It  is 
sufficient  for  our  object  to  learn  that  the  name  described 
as  known  only  to  the  recipient  was  received  by  the  rider 
of  the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God.) 

The  fourth  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  Thyatiran 
angel,  (Rev.  2  :  26,  21 :)  "  To  him  that  conquereth  and 
keepeth  my  works  to  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give  pow- 
er over  the  nations,  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod 
(sceptre)  of  iron ;  as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be 
broken  to  pieces,  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father ;  and 
I  will  give  him  the  morning  star." 

Whatever  is  to  be  understood  by  the  reward  here  pro- 
mised, it  is  e\adent  that  the  rider  of  the  white  horse  (the 
Word  of  God)  is  the  recipient  of  it ;  for  it  is  said  in  the  de- 
scription of  him,  (Rev.  19  :  15,)  "  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a 
sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations ;  afid 
he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  (sceptre)  of  iron."  So  much 
for  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise  to  the  letter.  We  shall 
show  in  another  place  our  views  of  the  analogical  meaning 
of  the  terms  here  employed. 

Meantime  we  notice  that  the  promisor  here,  as  through- 
out, is  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  a  scriptural 
appellation,  as  we  know,  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  ex- 
pression "  as  I  received  of  my  Father,"  refers  accord- 
ingly to  what  is  said  of  that  Son,  iPs.  2  :  8,  9.  The  re- 
compense is  therefore  in  efiect  a  transfer  to  the  conqueror 
of  that  which  in  the  psalm  is  given  to  the  Son.  And  if  the 
fulfillment  of  the  promise  be  such  as  we  suppose  it,  that  ful- 
fillment is  equivalent  to  the  coming  of  the  e?ic?,*  spoken  of 

*  The  end  in  respect  to  the  development  of  divine  truth,  not  in  respect 
to  time. 


PROMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEROR.  49 

by  Paul,  when  the  Son  shall  give  up  the  kingdom  to  the 
Father,  that  God  may  be  (manifested  to  be)  all  in  all. 

The  title  of  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords^  upon 
the  vesture  and  upon  the  thigh  of  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse,  further  marks  him  out  as  possessing  the  promised 
rule  over  the  nations  ;  while  the  action  of  the  sharp  sword 
fi'om  his  mouthy  in  gaining  the  victory  over  the  kings  of 
the  earth  and  their  armies,  is  a  fulfillment  of  the  promised 
power  to  break  the  nations  to  pieces  as  a,  potter^ a  vessel — a 
figurative  allusion  to  the  operation  of  divine  revelation, 
rightly  understood,  in  destroying  systems  or  doctrines  of 
human  invention,  founded  upon  a  literal  or  carnal  inter- 
pretation of  the  written  word  of  divine  revelation.*  A 
like  construction  we  put  upon  the  term  natiotis  (Gog  and 
Magog)  destroyed  by  fre  from  heaven  in  the  siege  of 
the  beloved  city,  (Rev.  20  :  9,)  the  fire  there  mentioned 
being  a  revelation,  or  action  of  the  same  "Word  of  God. 
The  prospective  style  of  the  expression  in  the  use  of  the 
word  shall  is  in  keeping  with  the  narrative ;  the  rule 
promised  being  a  result  of  the  victories,  in  which  the 
Word  of  God  is  distinguished  as  the  conqueror. 

The  addition  to  the  conditions  of  the  promise  "  and 
keepeth  my  works  to  the  end,"  is  apparently  equivalent 
to  the  requisition  of  a  perfect  correspondence  of  the 
divine  purpose  of  salvation,  (the  Word  of  God,)  with  the 
working  out  of  that  plan  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  as 
set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  both  of  the  Old  and  'New  Tes- 
taments. The  Word,  or  divine  purpose,  in  its  exhibition, 
must  not  only  overcome  opposing  errors,  in  order  to 
possess  the  prescribed  rule;  it  must  correspond,  also,  with 

*  §§  80,  81. 


50    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

all  the  sayings  and  works  of  Christ,  and  with  all  the  types 
and  prophecies  respecting  him.  The  fulfillment  of  this 
condition  is  certified  in  the  appellation  given  to  the  rider 
of  the  white  horse,  of  "  Faithful  and  True,"  (Rev.  19:11.) 
He  went  forth  with  the  crown,  equivalent  to  the  crown  of 
life  allotted  to  a  faithful  discii^le.  He  is  now  to  be  viewed 
as  at  the  end  ol  his  career ;  having  kept  the  works  of  the 
promisor  to  the  end,  for  which  reason  he  is  called  Faith- 
ful and  True. 

There  is  yet  a  further  promise  in  this  epistle  to  the  con- 
queror: "And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star."  For 
the  fulfillment  of  this  promise  we  have  to  turn  to  the  close 
of  the  vision,  (Rev.  22  ;  16,)  where  Jesus,  then  unveiled, 
declares  himself  to  be  "  the  root  and  the  oflsprmg  of  David, 
and  the  bright  morning  star?^  Then  going  back  to  Rev. 
5  :  5,  and  its  context,  we  find  "  the  root  of  David"  to  be 
the  Lamb — thence,  according  to  a  chain  of  identity  before 
employed,  we  find  the  New  Jerusalem,  as  the  wife,  to  be 
one  with  the  Lamb.  The  conqueror,  (the  Word  of  God,) 
therefore,  being,  as  elsewhere  shown,  one  with  the  New 
Jerusalem,  or  the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  is  identical  with 
Jesus ;  and  thus  in  him  possesses  the  promised  attribute 
of  the  morning  star — the  star  alluded  to  in  the  prophecy 
of  Balaam,  (Num.  24  :  17-19,)  where  the  rule  we  have 
been  treating  of  was  also  predicted.*  This,  perhaps,  may 
account  for  the  association  of  the  two  promises  in  this 
epistle. 

The  fifth  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the 

*  "  There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of 
Israel,  and  shall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,  and  destroy  all  the  children  of 
Sheth" — appellation  put  for  Gentiles  or  nations. 


PEOMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEEOR.  51 

church  in  Sardis  :  "  He  that  overcometh  (conquereth)  the 
same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment,  and  I  will  not  blot 
out  his  name  from  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father  and  before  his  angels,"  (Rev.  3  :  5.) 

The  rider  of  the  white  horse  is  described  as  being  cloth- 
ed in  a  vesture,  or  raiment,  dipped  in  blood ;  but  this  was 
an  equi^Dment  for  battle.  As  the  brethren  overcame  the 
accuser  m  heaven^  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  so  it  is 
with  the  evidence  of  that  blood  that  the  Word  of  God 
conquers  the  beast  and  his  allies.  The  armies  of  heaven 
following  the  Word  of  God,  are  clothed  in  fine  linen, 
clean  and  white.  Their  leader  (the  conqueror)  does  not 
receive  his  white  raiment  till  after  the  victory ;  and  here 
we  come  to  a  change  of  figure,  which  is  at  the  same  time 
equivalent  to  that  of  a  change  of  raiment. 

There  is  no  mention  in  the  Apocalypse,  as  already  no- 
ticed, of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  or  of  one  "  called 
the  Word  of  God,"  after  the  relation  given  of  the  vic- 
tory over  the  beast  and  his  allies.  This  would  appear  very 
strange  were  it  not  for  the  change  alluded  to,  in  which  the 
same  conquering  Word  (the  divine  purpose  of  salvation) 
claims  our  attention  under  a  different  symbol. 

Immediately  prior  to  the  account  of  the  great  battle,  we 
are  apprised  of  the  appearance  about  to  be  made  of  one 
hardly  before  recognized,  in  her  true  character,  (Rev. 
19  :  17-19.)  "The  wife  of  the  Lamb,"  it  is  said,  "hath 
made  herself  ready ;"  that  is,  ready  for  the  festal  celebra- 
tion, by  which  her  union  with  the  Lamb  is  to  be  manifest- 
ed or  made  pubhc* 

The  bride,  or  wife,  of  the  Lamb,  as  we  learn  fi'om  Rev. 

*  §§  425,  426. 


52         BEMAEKS    ON   THE   FORM    OF   THE   APOCALYPSE. 

21  :  2,  9, 10,  is  the  heavenly  Jerusalem;  and  this  Jerusa- 
lem from  above^  according  to  the  apostle  Paul,  (Gal. 
4  :  24-26,)  is  the  new  covenant  or  testament,  (the  divine 
plan  of  salvation  by  grace,)  personified  in  the  Apocalypse 
as  the  Word  of  God.  Thus  the  rider  of  the  white  horse 
(the  conqueror  of  the  beast)  is  now  identified  with  the 
wife  of  the  Lamb,  to  whom  "  it  was  given  that  she  should 
be  clothed  -with  fine  linen,  clean  and  white,"  and  thus, 
the  white  raiment  promised  "  to  him  that  overcometh"  is 
received  by  the  victorious  Word  of  God,  under  the  figure 
of  the  bride. 

That  the  name  of  this  conqueror  is  not  blotted  out  of 
the  book  of  fife,  will  appear  from  what  has  already  been 
shown  of  his  preservation  from  the  second  death.  The 
Word  of  God  and  the  book  of  life,  as  weU  as  the  tree  of 
life,  are  figures  of  the  same  divine  purj^ose  of  salvation. 
The  Word  of  God  (the  conqueror)  being  manifested,  or 
revealed,  to  be  the  book  of  life,  his  name  is  not  blotted 
out  of  that  book,  and  can  not  be.  The  promise  is  fulfilled 
in  the  manifestation  of  this  identity  and  its  consequence. 
The  promise  of  the  confession  of  the  name  is  fulfilled 
towards  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  by  the  appellation 
given  him,  as  it  is  said  "  his  name  is  called  the  Word  of 
God."  He  has  other  titles,  but  this  is  the  name  by  which 
he  is  divinely  recognized,  and  by  which  the  angels  or 
messengers  of  divine  revelation  are  to  recognize  him. 
The  name  is  further  confessed  by  the  recognition  of  the 
bride  as  the  Jerusalem  above — the  covenant  of  grace, 
which  is  in  fact  the  same  Word  of  God. 

The  revelation  of  this  name  of  the  conqueror,  associa- 
ted with  the  weapon   by  which  he  conquers,  afibrds  us 


PROMISES   TO   THE    CONQUEROR.  53 

the  information  that  it  is  by  the  development  of  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation,  in  its  proper  sense,  that  all  doc- 
trinal systems,  or  principles,  opposed  to  the  cross  of  Christ, 
are  to  be  overcome. 

The  sixth  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the 
PhUadelphian  church  :  "  Him  that  conquer eth  will  I  make 
a  pUlar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more 
out,  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and 
the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  (New  Jerusalem,)  which 
Cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God,  and  my  new 
name."  (Rev.  3  :  12, 13.) 

As  before  remarked,  the  prospective  style  of  these  pro- 
mises must  refer  to  the  manifestation  of  the  things  spoken 
of,  and  not  to  their  existence. 

"The  temple  of  God,"  we  take  to  be  that  arrangement 
in  the  purpose  of  God,*  by  which  the  sinful  creature,  man, 
is  permitted  to  worship  Him  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to 
behold  iniquity,  and  in  whose  sight  even  the  heavens  are 
unclean.  As  the  Jews  considered  the  temple  in  Jerusalem 
the  place  in  which  men  ought  to  worship,  so  it  is  in  Christ 
only,  and  in  his  name,  that  the  disciple  can  worship  God 
acceptably,  (in  spirit  and  in  truth.)  Thus  Jesus  Christ 
himself  may  be  said  to  be  an  impersonation  of  the  temple 
of  God.  Of  this  temple,  the  conqueror  (the  Word  of  God) 
has  the  promise  of  being  the  pillar,  or  support.  So  the 
loord  of  God,  the  divine  purpose,  or  covenant  of  grace, 
is  the  support  of  the  Christian's  way  of  access  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  a  support  of  an  immovable  character; 
one  that  will  no  more  go  ou%  eternally  the  same.  So 
Paul,  we  apprehend,  speaks  of  the  Church  or  house  of 

*  §§  97,  98. 


54    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

God  as  "the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth."  Not  the 
visible  or  invisible  assembly  or  aggregate  of  disciples, 
which,  at  the  best,  could  be  compared  only  to  a  broken 
reed,  as  a  stay  or  support  of  the  truth,  but  the  divine  plan 
of  salvation  itself,  which  must  be  that  support  when  fully 
revealed. 

Upon  this  immovable  pillar,  certain  names,  according 
to  the  promise,  are  to  be  wiitten. 

The  rider  of  the  white  horse  has  "a  name  written  upon 
his  vesture  and  upon  his  thigh.  King  of  kings  and  Lord 
of  lords."  This  designates  him  as  that  of  which  he  bears 
the  name.  The  name  thus  wiitten  is  equivalent  to  a  de- 
claration of  the  true  character,  dignity,  and  power  of  him 
upon  whom  the  name  is  inscribed.  So  in  relation  to  the 
pillar  in  question,  the  writing  of  the  names  mentioned 
upon  it,  is  equivalent  to  a  declaration,  or  development,  of 
the  fact,  or  truth,  that  the  pillar  is  that  of  which  it  bears 
the  name,  or  inscription.  Thus  the  rider  of  the  white 
liorse,  (the  conqueror,)  the  Word  of  God,  is  God — the 
God  of  the  one  Hke  unto  the  Son  of  Man.  The  "Word  of 
God  is  also  the  city  of  the  same  God,  the  New  Jerusalem, 
which  Cometh  down  fi-om  heaven;  and  he  is  also  that 
which  is  designated  by  what  the  promisor  calls  his  ncAv 
name. 

What  this  new  name*  may  be,  is  not  so  easily  shown ; 
but  as  the  name  promised,  which  no  one  knew  but  he  that 
received  it,  is  also  termed  a  new  name,  we  may  presume 
this  to  be  the  same.  The  promise  is  fulfilled  in  respect  to 
the  Word  of  God,  the  conqueror,  because  he  carried  that 
new  name  written  upon  his  diadem ;  and  if  that  be  the 

*  §§  99,  100. 


PROMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEROR.  55 

name,  it  is  not  for  us  to  inquii*e  what  it  is.  We  may  take 
it  for  granted,  the  name  wiitten  upon  the  diadem  is  the 
new  name  to  be  inscribed  upon  the  pillar,  as  we  are  per- 
suaded it  is  the  nem  name  written  on  the  promised  bril- 
liant or  white  stone. 

Bearing  in  mind,  however,  that  the  conqueror,  "called 
the  Word  of  God,"  and  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  represent 
the  same  divine  igUI^  or  purpose,  there  is  a  name  spoken  of 
as  a  new  name^  in  a  prophecy,  applicable  to  either  or  both 
of  these  figures,  and  which  may,  therefore,  be  referred 
to  here,  (Isa.  62  :  1,  5.)  We  quote  the  whole  of  the  predic- 
tion to  show  its  correspondence  with  the  result  of  this 
apocalyptic  exhibition,  as  we  understand  it : 

"For  Zion's  sake  will  I  not  hold  my  peace,  and  for  Je- 
rusalem's sake  I  will  not  rest,  until  the  righteousness  there- 
of go  forth  as  brightness,  and  the  salvation  thereof  as  a 
lamp  that  burneth.  And  the  Gentiles  shall  see  thy  right- 
eousness, and  all  kings  thy  glory ;  and  thou  shalt  be  called 
by  a  new  name^  which  the  mouth  of  Jehovah  has  spoken. 
Thou  shalt  also  be  a  crown  of  glory  in  the  hand  of  Jeho- 
vah, and  a  royal  diadem  in  the  hand  of  thy  God.  Thou 
shalt  no  more  be  termed  forsaken,  neither  shall  thy  land 
be  termed  desolate ;  but  thou  shalt  be  called  Sephzihah, 
and  thy  land  JBeulah  ;  for  Jehovah  delighteth  in  thee,  and 
thy  land  shall  be  married.  For  as  a  young  man  marrieth 
a  virgin,  so  shall  thy  sons  marry  thee,  and  as  the  bride- 
groom rejoiceth  over  the  bride,  so  shall  thy  God  rejoice 
over  thee." 

The  name  Hephzibah  signifies,  "my  will  m  her,"  that  is, 
God  being  the  speaker,  the  will  or  good  pleasure  of  Jeho- 
vah, equivalent  to  the  definition  we  have  given  to  the 


56    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

Word  or  mind  of  God.  So,  according  to  the  apocalyptic 
representation,  the  woman,  or  wife,  that  once  appeared 
"forsaken,"  (secluded  in  the  wilderness)  is  afterwards  seen 
descending  from  God  out  of  heaven. 

Beulah  signifies  married,  or  the  mistress  of  a  household. 
Corresponding  with  this,  the  woman,  once  desolate  in  the 
Avilderness,  apparently  deprived  of  child  and  husband,  is 
at  last  recognized  as  both  wife  and  mother  of  him  that 
was  to  rule  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron,  identifying  the 
bride,  the  Lamb,  and  the  infant  caught  up  to  God  and 
his  throne,  as  representing  the  same  mystery.  So,  as  we 
have  noticed,  the  Word  of  God  being  one  mth  the  wife 
of  the  Lamb,  and  the  wife  and  her  husband  being  also 
one,  and  the  Lamb  on  the  throne  with  God  being  one 
with  God,  Jehovah  rejoiceth  over  his  own  plan  of  mercy, 
(his  will  or  good  pleasure)  as  a  bridegroom  rejoiceth  over 
his  bride ;  this  plan  of  mercy  being  his  delight^  (marginal 
reading.) 

Corresponding  with  this  figurative  development,  it  is 
said  in  another  prophecy  of  the  holy  Jerusalem:  "She  shall 
be  called  Jehovah  our  righteousness ;"  as  the  same  thing 
is  also  said  of  the  Branch,  (Jeremiah  23  :  5 ;  33  :  16,) 
the  name  of  the  husband  being  thus  given  to  the  wife. 

The  seventh  promise  is  in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  Laodicea,  (Rev.  2  :  21 :)  "To  him  that  con- 
quereth  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as 
I  also  overcame  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his 
throne." 

Comparing  this  promise  with  the  declaration  of  the 
Father,  (Isa.  42  :  8,)  "  I  am  Jehovah,  that  is  my  name, 
and  my  glory  will  T  not  give  to  another,"  it  is  evident 


PROMISES   TO   THE   CONQUEROR.  57 

that  the  promise  to  the  conqueror  here  is  equivalent  to  a 
manifestation  of  identity,  or  oneness,  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Him  that  overcometh. 

It  is  charged  upon  the  man  of  sin,  (error,)  (2.  Thess  2  : 
4,)  that  he  "  sits  'in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself 
that  he  is  God,"  corresponding  with  the  language  ascribed 
to  Lucifer,  (Isa.  14  :  12,  13,)  and  Jesus  Christ  himself  was 
accused  of  blasphemy  by  the  Pharisees,  because  he  made 
himself  equal  with  God :  yet  there  can  be  no  stronger 
evidence  of  equality  with  God,  than  that  of  sitting  in  or 
on  the  throne  of  God.*  "Whoever  the  conqueror  be, 
therefore,  he  must  be  identical  with  God ;  and  as  God  is 
an  unchangeable  being,  the  promise  can  only  b*e  fulfilled 
by  a  manifestation  of  this  identity. 

Apocalyptically,  the  promise  is  fulfilled  in  that  denoue- 
ment of  the  vision  which  exhibits  God  and  the  Lamb  as 
occupying  the  same  throne,  and  the  New  Jerusalem  (the 
Word)  as  the  wife  of  the  Lamb ;  and,  consequently,  one 
with  the  Lamb,  and  thence  one  also  with  the  sovereign 
God.  As  it  is  said  of  Jesus  Christ,  (Isa.  42  :  6,)  that  he 
should  "  be  given  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,"  being 
himself  an  impersonation  of  that  covenant,  here  represented 
by  both  the  Word  of  God  and  the  holy  city. 

Add  to  this,  in  the  20th  chapter  of  Revelation,  immedi- 
ately after  the  delivery  of  the  camp  of  the  saints  and  the 
beloved  city,  and  the  final  destruction  of  Satan,  a  great 
white  throne  is  seen,  with  Him  that  sat  upon  it ;  the 
white  throne  being  a  figure  there  substituted  for  the  white 
horse.    He  that  sat  upon   it  is   to    be    considered    the 

*  To  sit  in  the  throne,  or  seat  of  God,  is  to  be  in  the  place  of  God. 
3* 


58    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

same  Word  of  God.  The  throne  is  indeed  the  throne  of 
God,  and  here  is  the  manifestation  that  the  conqueror,  the 
Word  of  God,  is  God,  and  it  is  thus  that  the  Word  of  God 
is  to  be  considered  as  deciding  in  the  cases  presented  in 
the  subsequent  judgment  scene.  So,  when  at  the  close 
of  the  vision,  "  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold, 
I  make  all  things  new,"  we  are  to  understand  that  it  is 
the  Word  (the  mind  or  purpose  of  God)  that  makes  all 
things  new,  as  an  understanding  of  the  divine  purpose 
of  salvation  by  grace,  superseding  the  legal  dispensation, 
enables  the  disciple,  as  it  did  the  apostle,  to  see  heaven 
new^  and  earth  neio,  loithout  a  sea,  (Rev.  21  :  1.) 

Throughout  the  Apocalypse,  God  (the  Supreme  Being) 
is  spoken  of,  but  he  is  not  represented  as  the  speaker.  He 
speaks  throughout  in  the  person  of  the  one  like  unto  the 
Son  of  Man,  who  announces  himself  to  be  the  Son  of 
God,  "  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end- 
ing," and  who,  as  such,  utters  the  several  promises  we 
have  examined,  all  of  which,  as  well  as  that  we  are  about 
to  notice,  are  to  be  considered  as,  in  point  of  fact,  the  lan- 
guage of  the  sovereign  God.* 

The  eighth  and  last  promise  is  not  contained  in  either 
of  the  epistles  to  the  churches,  but  it  is  given  by  the  same 
Alpha  and  Omega,  (Rev.  21:7:)  "  He  that  conquereth 
shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall 
be  my  son." 

The  same  conqueror  we  understand  to  be  here  alluded 
to,  (the  term  in  the  original  is  the  same.)  The  promise 
might  be  considered  fulfilled  in  the  manifestation  already 

*  It  is  in  Jesus  Christ  only  that  God  reveals  himself.  (John  1  :  18  ; 
U:  9.) 


PROMISES   TO    THE    CONQUEROR.  59 

afforded  of  the  identity  of  the  Word  of  God  and  bride 
with  God  and  the  Lamb,  as  we  have  traced  it  through 
the  progress  of  the  conqueror.  Apocalyptically,  however, 
we  consider  the  mheritance  of  all  things  to  be  set  forth  in 
the  description  (immediately  following  the  promise)  of 
the  holy  Jerusalem,  (the  bride,)  the  truly  great  city, 
(Rev.  21  :  10;  22  :  5;)  its  foundations;  its  capacity;  the 
magnitude  and  strength  of  its  defenses ;  the  preciousness 
and  solidity  of  its  walls ;  the  richness  and  purity  of  its 
composition  ;  the  divine  character  of  its  temple  ;  its  ample 
provision  of  life  and  heat ;  the  dependence  of  the  nations 
upon  its  light ;  the  tribute  brought  into  it ;  the  homage  of 
the  kings  of  the  new  earth  paid  to  it,  and  the  glory  and 
honor  of  the  nations  subservient  to  it ;  its  abundant  stores 
of  food  and  medicine ;  together  with  its  exalted  rank, 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb  being  in  the  midst  of  it. 

These  various  advantages,  with  what  is  imphed  in  them, 
point  out  something  figuratively  equivalent  to  the  inherit- 
ance of  all  things^  to  which  may  be  added  all  that  is  com- 
prehended in  the  diadem  of  the  conqueror,  in  his  rule  of 
the  nations  with  a  sceptre  of  iron,  and  his  title  of  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 

The  latter  part  of  the  promise,  "  I  will  be  his  God,  and 
he  shall  be  my  son,"  is  fulfilled  in  the  manifestation  of 
that  which  before  existed. 

The  conquering  Word  of  God,  under  the  figure  of  the 
bride,  is  manifested  to  be  07ie  with  the  Lamb.  The  Lamb 
is  the  root  of  David,  (Rev.  5  :  7,)  the  root  of  David  is 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Jesus  Christ  is  "  declared  to  be  the  Son 
of  God,  with  power,"  (Rom.  1  :  4,)  as  of  old  he  was  also 
appointed  heir  of  all  things,  (Heb.  1  :  2-8.) 


CO    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

The  Word  of  God  is  thus  manifested  to  be  the  Son  of 
God,  and  that  Son  Jesus  Christ.  The  converse  of  which 
proposition  is  that  Jesus  Christ  unveiled  is  the  Word  of 
God,  a  result  we  deem  it  the  design  of  the  vision  to  show, 
as  will  appear  by  a  further  analysis."* 

RECAPITULATION. 

1st.  The  Word  of  God^  under  the  figure  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  is  nourished  by  the  tree  of  life,  the  tree  with  its 
fruits  being  in  the  midst  and  throughout  the  holy  city. 
So  the  vicarious  offermg  of  Christ  is  the  sustaining 
element  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation — the  cross  and  the 
tree  being  equivalent  symbols  of  the  same  plan. 

2d.  The  Word  of  God  is  not  unjustified  (hurt)  of  the 
second  death,  the  Word  of  God  being  found  in  the 
book  of  life,  which  is,  in  fact  the  same  divine  purpose  of 
salvation. 

3d.  The  Word  of  God  is  supported  by  "the  hidden 
manna ;"  the  imputable  righteousness  of  Jehovah  (the  true 
bread  from  heaven)  being  an  essential  provision  of  God's 
plan  of  redemption. 

The  Word  of  God  also  possesses  the  brilliant  precious 
stone,  with  the  name  engraved  upon  it,  known  only  to 
him  that  received  it. 

4th.  The  Word  of  God  possesses  the  power  to  rule  the 

*  We  are  aware  that  disciples  of  Christ  have  the  promise  of  being 
sons  and  daughters  of  God,  (2  Cor.  G  :  18,)  and  also  heirs,  (Gal.  4  :  7,)  but 
this  is  by  adoption  in  Christ,  the  inheritance  being  that  of  his  merits.  We 
do  not  think  this  the  allusion  here,  because  the  design  of  the  Apocalypse  is, 
aa  its  title  purports  it  to  be,  fhf.  vnveiling  of  Jesxs  CVirist. 


PEOMISES   TO    THE    CONQUEROR.  61 

nations  with  a  rod,  or  sceptre,  of  iron,  (the  sceptre  of 
righteousness),  and  to  break  to  shivers  every  hostile  error 
or  system.  He  is  also,  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
promised  "  morning  star." 

5th.  The  Word  of  God,  as  the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  is 
clothed  with  white  raiment.  His  name  is  not  blotted  out 
of  the  book  of  life,  for  he  is  the  book  of  life.  His  name  is 
confessed  by  the  one  "  Hke  imto  the  Son  of  Man,"  before 
the  Father,  by  the  manifestation  of  his  oneness  with  the 
Son,  under  the  figure  of  the  wife  of  the  Lamb. 

6th.  The  Word  of  God  (the  purpose  of  divme  sove- 
reignty) is  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  God ;  being  the  im- 
movable support  of  that  arrangement,  by  which  the  wor- 
shipper finds  access  to  the  throne  of  grace.  And  as  the 
name  in  the  pillar  designates  that  which  the  pillar  represents, 
the  Word  of  God  bears  the  name  of  God,  of  the  city  of 
God,  and  the  new  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  because  the 
Word  is  that  which  these  several  names  represent. 

1\h.  The  Word  of  God,  under  the  figure  of  the  wife,  is 
identical  with  the  Lamb,  and,  as  such,  has  his  place  on  the 
throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Word  being  difierent  appellations  of  the  same  sove- 
reign God. 

8th.  The  Word  of  God^  under  the  figure  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  (the  wife  of  the  Lamb,)  inherits  all  things,  as  is 
seen  in  the  particulars  given  of  the  holy  city  at  the  close 
of  the  vision,  and  as  is  also  to  be  mferred  from  his  titles 
and  his  victorious  career,  and  his  manifested  oneness  with 
God  and  the  Lamb. 

We  have  thus  seen  how  the  fulfillment  of  the  promises 
to  the  conqueror  (Him  that  overcometh)  confirm  the  in- 


02  liEMAEKS    ON   THE   FORM    OF    THE   APOCALYPSE. 

ference  drawn  from  the  narrative,  that  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse  (the  Word  (logos)  of  God)  is  the  conqueror^ 
that  he  is  the  principal  character,  whose  progress  is  to 
be  noticed  throughout  the  ^ision ;  both  as  executing  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  as  triumphing  over  the  adversary  of 
the  cross  of  Christ,  and  as  developing  the  grand  features 
of  the  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace,  in  which 
development  the  unveiling  and  coming  of  Jesus  Christ 
virtually  consists.  Two  or  three  only  of  these  promises 
could  be  understood  as  applying  to  the  case  of  disciples, 
while  they  all  apply  to  the  Word  of  God,  the  only  con- 
queror, thus  affording  us  a  knowledge  of  the  pt'otagonist^ 
or  principal  character,  to  be  noticed  in  the  dramatic  action 
of  the  subsequent  exhibition. 


SCENES   AND   SYMBOLICAL   CONTKASTS.  63 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SCENES    IN   HEAVEN — SCENES   ON  EARTH — SYMBOLICAL  CHA- 
KACTEES — SYMBOLICAL  CONTRASTS. 

In  taking  a  general  view  of  the  Apocalypse,  we  do  not 
proceed  far,  after  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book,  before 
perceiving  two  different  series  of  representations :  one,  in 
which  the  scene  is  laid  in  heaven,  exhibiting,  as  trans- 
actions in  the  councils  of  the  Most  High,  that  which,  in 
fact,  had  been  determined  from  all  eternity  ;  in  the  other, 
the  scenes  may  be  said  to  be  laid  on  earth,  although  wit- 
nessed by  the  apostle  from  a  heavenly  position ;  with  the 
advantage  in  both  cases  of  an  angelic  attendant,  occasion- 
ally acting  as  an  interpreter. 

Something  hke  this  arrangement  is  to  be  found  in  the 
introductory  part  of  the  book  of  Job,  where  the  scene  is 
first  laid  in  heaven ;  the  sons  of  God  being  represented  as 
meeting  in  the  presence  of  the  Supreme  Being,  Satan  pre- 
senting himself  also  among  them.  Subsequently,  having 
received  power,  the  adversary  acts  on  earth,  in  the  trials 
to  which  the  patriarch  is  subjected. 

In  the  Apocalypse,  the  parties  at  issue  are  the  Lamb  on 
one  side,  and  Satan  on  the  other.  But  the  Lamb  is  de- 
scribed only  as  in  the  heavenly  scenes,  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  on  the  heavenly  Mount  Zion,  and  as  an  occupant  of 
the  throne.     On  earth  he  is  seen,  or  spoken  of,  in  the  person 


64    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,)  in  that 
of  the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  and  under  the  figure  of  the  New 
Jerusalem. 

Satan  appears  in  his  proper  character,  (the  great  red 
dragon,)  in  the  "war  in  heaven,"  and  after  his  expulsion, 
he  is  spoken  of  as  operating  on  earth  in  his  persecution  of 
the  woman,  (Rev.  12,)  but  otherwise,  he  appears  in  the 
earthly  scenes  only  in  the  person  of  his  agent,  or  repre- 
sentative, (Rev.  13  :  2,)  (the  ten-horned  beast,)  till  his 
release  from  the  bottomless  pit,  (Rev.  20  ;  7,)  when  he  is 
described  as  acting  in  j)erson  in  the  attack  upon  the 
camp  of  the  saints  and  the  beloved  city. 

In  heaven,  the  contest  is  between  the  elements  of  sove- 
reign mercy  and  the  strict  requisitions  of  the  broken  law, 
the  Lamb,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  child  caught 
up  to  God  and  his  throne,  representing  the  powerful 
pleading  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ ;  against  which 
Satan  urges  the  demands  of  justice,  till  he  himself  is  ex- 
pelled from  the  divine  councils. 

On  earth,  the  contest  is  between  the  true  view  of  God's 
plan  of  salvation,  and  the  errors  opposed  to  that  plan.  Li 
heaven,  the  principles  of  avenging  justice,  (the  dragon  and 
his  angels,)  are  overcome  by  the  principles  of  divine  sove- 
reignty and  sovereign  grace,  (Michael  and  his  angels.) 
On  earth,  erroneous  views  of  the  way  of  salvation  (plans 
of  self-justification  and  self-propitiation)  are  overcome  by 
a  development  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  iii  its  ])roper 
sense  ;  the  Word  of  God,  operating  with  the  sharp  sword 
of  the  mouth,  fire^  hail,  and  other  instrumentalities. 

In  heaven,  the  result  of  the  contest  is  the  triumph  of 
God's  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace,  through  the 


SCENES    AND    SYMBOLICAL    CONTRASTS.  65 

vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ.  On  earth,  the  contest  results 
in  the  triumph  of  the  just  view  of  this  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion over  all  opposing  errors,  or  devices  of  human  inven- 
tion, which  just  view  is,  in  fact,  the  xmveiling^  or  coming 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  contest  in  heaven  appears  to  be  figuratively  alluded 
to  by  the  apostle  Jude,  as  a  strife  between  Michael  and 
the  devil,  "about  the  body  of  Moses;"  the  accuser  pur- 
posing to  use  the  law  for  the  ruin  of  the  sinner;  the  ele- 
ment of  divine  sovereignty  using  it  as  a  leader  to  bring 
the  disciple  into  the  way  of  salvation. 

The  contest  on  earth  corresponds  with  that  in  which 
the  disciple  is  called  upon  to  put  on  the  whole  armor 
of  God,  that  he  may  withstand  in  the  evil  day,  (Eph. 
6  :  13.) 

In  heaven,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  overcomes  the  ac- 
cuser of  the  brethren ;  and  the  Lamb  himself  overcomes 
the  condemning  power  of  the  law,  (the  ten  kings.)  On 
earth  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  is  executed  by  the  Word  of 
God,  (by  fire  from  heaven,  or  by  the  sword  of  the  mouth,) 
against  principles  and  systems  of  doctrine  opposed  to  his 
work  of  salvation ;  or  rather  opposed  to  a  right  view  of 
that  work. 

In  the  choral  action,  and  most  of  the  angelic  announce- 
ments, tte  scenes  are  laid  in  heaven,  as  amongst  those 
who  are  made  acquainted  with  the  divine  purposes,  even 
in  anticipation. 

These  changes  in  the  scenes  of  the  exhibition  remind  us 
of  the  machines  said  to  be  employed  by  some  of  the 
Greeks  to  inform  the  spectators  of  the  position  of  the 
actor,  whether  in  the  country,  city,  temple,  etc.     So,  in 


66    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

order  to  understand  the  apocalyptic  representation,  we 
must  notice  whether  the  scene  is  laid  in  heaven  or  upon 
the  earth. 

Corresponding  with  this  view  of  the  dramatic  construc- 
tion of  the  vision,  we  give  here  an  enumeration  of  the 
characters  represented.  In  this  it  will  be  perceived  that, 
as  in  the  management  of  the  Greek  drama,  the  same  actor 
personated  different  characters,  so  in  the  exhibition  be- 
fore us,  which  purports  to  be  an  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ, 
he  is  personified  under  different  characters,  each  of  which 
affords  some  peculiar  illustration  of  his  being  and  mission. 


SCENES   AND    SYMBOLICAL   CONTRASTS.  67 


PERSONIFICATION    OE     JESUS     CHRIST. 

The  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  declaring  liimself  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 
The  Lamb :   TJie  element  of  divine,  vicarious  sacrifice. 
Michael  and  his  angels :    Divine  sovereignty  and  its  elements. 
The  rider  of  the  white  horse,  \ 

The  occupant  of  the  white  throne  y  The  Word  {Legos)  of  God. 
and  white  cloud :  ) 


The  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  ^  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^         ^ 

The  wife  of  the  Lamb,  y     „t  ^    r  „^7„,^^.  ^  •' 

The  New  Jerusalem  :  )     ^^^^  of  salvation. 

The  child  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne  :  Same  as  the  Lamb. 


Chorus  of  many  voices,  chorus  of  one  voice,  heralds,  angels,  etc. 


AUXILIARIES    OF     THE     WORD     OF   GOD- 

The  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth:  Divine  revelation  itrtperfectly  under- 
stood. 

Locust — scorpions,    angels,  and  horse- 
men from  the  river  Euphrates, 

Physical    elements,   earthquakes,   fire, 
hail,  etc., 

Riders  of  the  red  and  black  horses : 

Souls  under  the  altar  slain  for  their  testimony  )  Sufferers  whose  cause  is  to 
in  favor  of  the  "Word  :  J       be  avenged. 

144,000  sealed  ones,  )  Elements  of  divine  revelation  corre- 

Armies  in  heaven  on  white  horses:  J     sponding  with  the  Word  of  God. 


Legal  elements    preparing  the 
way  for  the  conqueror. 


ADYERSARIES  OF  THE  WORD  OF  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB. 

Satan  (the  dragon)  and  his  angels :  The  accuser  and  adversary. 

ApoUyon,  the  destroyer,  and  the  beast  from  the  bottomless  pit :  Personi- 
fications of  Satan. 

Death  and  hell  on  the  green  horse :  Powers  of  legal  condemnation. 

The  beast  with  ten  horns  :  The  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

The  beast  with  two  horns,  (the  false  prophet :)  Element  of  misinterpreta- 
Hon  of  the  revealed  word. 

The  harlot,  (Babylon,)  the  image  of  the  beast:  False  plan  of  propitiation. 

Kings,  chiefs  of  the  earth  and  their  armies :  Auxiliaries  of  the  beast. 

^:TZ  Zgof^  "'*'  |^-'«!'  »<^  eermprincipUs. 

Spirits  unclean  as  frogs,  heralds  of  Satan  the  beast  and  false  prophet. 


68  REMARKS   ON  THE  FORM   OF   THE   APOCALYPSE. 

To  this  enumeration  we  might  add  the  four  living  crea- 
tures, or  elements  of  di\ine  sovereignty,  and  the  twenty- 
four  elders,  or  representatives  of  divine  revelation.  They 
are  included,  however,  imder  the  appellation  of  the  chorus. 

REMARKS  ON  OPPOSITION  OF  FIGURES. 

There  is  a  contrast  here,  as  well  as  between  other 
principal  characters,  worth  noticing.  The  first  livmg  crea- 
ture like  a  Hon,  representing  the  attribute  of  divine  JMS^^ce 
is  an  o]3posite  of  the  second,  representing  the  element  of 
mercy.  In  the  opening  of  the  seals,  the  attribute  justice 
calls  forth  the  champion  with  his  covenant  how ;  the 
avenging  power  of  the  law  appears  at  the  call  of  the  at- 
tribute of  mercy  ;  the  standard  of  the  law  is  called  out  by 
the  element  of  wisdom,  and  the  powers  of  condemnation 
are  called  out  by  the  Comforter:  the  one  showing  the 
necessity  of  the  other. 

The  great  red  dragon  is  the  opposite  of  the  Lamb,  as 
the  element  of  legal  accusation  is  an  opposite  of  that  of 
vicarious  sacrifice;  so  Michael,  the  power  of  sovereign 
grace,  is  an  opposite  of  Satan,  the  legal  adversary  of  man. 
The  beast  with  ten  horns  is  an  opposite  of  the  Word  of 
God.  The  harlot  Babylon  is  an  opposite  of  the  bride  or 
wife  of  the  Lamb.  The  city  Babylon  is  an  opposite  of 
the  holy  Jerusalem.  Earth,  or  the  earthly  system,*  is  an 
opposite  of  heaven,  or  the  heavenly  system,  as  a  plan  of  jus- 
tification by  works  of  the  law  is  an  opposite  of  the  divine 
plan  of  justification  by  grace.     So  the  grass  of  the  earth, 

*  The  earthly  system  comprehends  an  earthly  view  of  the  heavenly 
bodies.  The  heavenly  system  is  equivalent  to  a  new  view  of  heaven  and 
earth. 


SCENES   AND    SYMBOLICAI.   CONTRASTS.  G9 

as  the  covering  of  the  earth,  is  an  opposite  of  the  white 
robe  of  divine  righteousness ;  as  the  green  horse,  also,  is  an 
opposite  of  the  white  horse.  The  dwellers  upon  the 
earth  are  opposites  of  the  dwellers  in  heaven,  (Rev. 
12  :  12,)  as  the  principles  of  a  system  of  justification  by 
human  merit  are  opposites  of  the  principles  of  a  system  of 
justification  through  the  merits  ol  Christ. 

This  contrast  of  characters  affords  some  idea  of  the 
nature  of  the  contest  about  to  be  represented.  The  open- 
ing of  the  fifth  seal  exhibits  a  scene  of  panic  fear  amongst 
the  dwellers  or  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  in  view  of  an  ap- 
proaching execution  of  the  wi'ath  of  the  Lamb.  This 
state  of  panic  is  to  be  contrasted  with  the  condition  of 
security  of  the  144,000  sealed  ones,  immediately  after- 
wards described.  These  sealed  ones,  we  suppose  to  be 
elements  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  as  revealed  in  the 
sacred  Scriptures  both  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments ; 
symbolized  by  the  number  of  the  twelve  patriarchs  multi- 
phed  by  that  of  the  twelve  apostles. 

The  earth  being  a  figure  of  the  plan  of  justification  by 
works  of  the  law,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  being 
the  principles  of  such  a  plan,  (elements  of  self-justification,) 
it  is  against  these  that  the  wi*ath  of  the  Lamb  is  directed. 
The  144,000  sealed  ones,  on  the  contrary,  representing 
principles  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  have 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  threatened  visitation.  Accord- 
ingly, we  find  that,  while  the  earthly  elements  are  suffer- 
ing from  the  reaction  of  their  own  legal  priQcij^les  upon 
themselves,  as  in  the  torment  of  the  locust-sting  and  that  of 
the  Euphratean  horse,  the  sealed  ones  are  offering  their 
tributes  of  praise ;  the  condemnation  of  error  being  the 


70    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

justification  and  triumph,  of  truth.  This  we  propose  to 
show  more  fully  in  the  analytical  sketch  about  to  be  given 
of  the  matter  and  purport  of  the  whole  vision. 

The  Apocalypse  or  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ,  being  some- 
thing equivalent  to  a  development  of  the  mystery  of  the 
Gospel,  it  is  a  revelation  of  what  has  been  done,  rather 
than  of  what  is  to  be  done,  things  revealed  being  no 
otherwise  future  than  as  regards  their  manifestation. 
Time  literally  is  not  to  be  taken  into  consideration,  (Rev. 
10  :  6,)  the  periods  of  time  mentioned  indicating  only  a 
coincidence  of  circumstances  or  operations.*  The  true 
wife's  seclusion,  for  example,  in  the  wilderness  corresponds 
with  the  circumstance  of  the  reign  of  the  ten-horned 
beast,  and  the  consequent  support  given  to  the  influence 
of  the  harlot ;  these  also  coinciding  with  the  treading  of 
the  holy  city  under  foot  by  the  Gentiles,  and  their  posses- 
sion of  the  outer  court  of  the  temple,  the  prophesying  of 
the  witnesses  in  sackcloth,  and  the  exposure  of  their  dead 
bodies  in  the  street  of  the  great  city.  The  symbolical 
terms  of  this  coincidence  expire  simultaneously  when  the 
beast  and  his  allies  are  overcome  by  the  Word  of  God, 
and  Satan  is  bound  in  the  bottomless  pit. 

That  the  rider  of  the  white  horse  (the  Word  of  God) 
and  the  ten-horned  beast  are  opposites  there  can  be  no 
question,  for  they  are  seen  arrayed  in  battle  against  each 
other.  Besides  this,  the  Word  of  God  is  the  mind  or  will 
of  God — ^that  will  which  Jesus  Christ  came  to  fulfil,  and 
which  is  accordingly  typified  by  the  cross  xx^oyl  which  lie 
suffered.  The  ten-horned  beast,  on  the  other  hand,  as 
we   shall  show  in  its  place,  from  "the  number  of  his 

*  §  230. 


SCENES   AND   SYMBOLICAL   CONTRASTS.  11 

name,"  is  the  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  an  appel- 
lation equivalent  to  that  of  an  adversary  of  the  Word  of 
God — of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace. 

The  Lamb  does  not  appear  as  such  in  the  earthly  con- 
test. Elements  of  error  (of  self-justification)  being  the  ob- 
ject of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  the  contest  with  these  is 
carried  on  by  the  Word  of  God.  Here,  instead  of  the 
Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  we  see  the  conqueror  arrayed 
in  a  garment  dipped  in  blood.  The  Lamb,  as  the  King  of 
kings,  overcame  (in  the  heavenly  councils)  the  ten  legal 
kings.  The  Word  of  God,  as  the  King  of  kings,  also  over- 
comes, in  the  earthly  scene,  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
their  armies,  by  the  sword  of  the  mouth.  Thus  the  Word 
of  God  is  seen  to  possess,  and  to  exercise,  m  this  war,  the 
power  of  the  Lamb,  the  true  interpretation  of  the  revealed 
Word  of  God  being  the  instrument  that  is  to  overcome 
every  opposing  error ;  as  the  sharp  oral  sword  is  an  op- 
posite of  the  false  prophet. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  dragon,  or  great  red  serpent, 
does  not  appear  as  such  in  the  contest  on  earth.  He 
transfers  his  power,  his  throne,  and  his  great  authority, 
to  the  beast  from  the  sea,  the  same  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns  being  apparently  transferred  from  one  to  the  other. 

That  the  woman  deprived  of  her  child,  and  secluded  in 
the  wilderness,  is  an  opposite  of  the  harlot  in  the  wilder- 
ness, there  can  be  also  no  doubt.  Li  the  wilderness,  one  ap- 
pears desolate,  where  the  other  is  in  her  glory.  It  is 
equally  unquestionable,  that  the  harlot  is  an  opposite  of 
the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  which  brings  us  to  the  conclusion, 
that  the  woman,  or  wife,  desolate  in  the  wilderness,  is 
afterwards  represented  as  the  bride  coming  down  from 


72         EESIARKS    ON  THE  FORM    OF   THE  APOCALYPSE. 

heaven,  adorned  for  her  husband  ;  while  on  the  other  hand, 
the  harlot,  bemg  the  looman  of  the  beast,  is  the  image  of 
the  beast,  and  identical  with  the  beast,  (1.  Cor.  6:16.) 

That  Babylon  (the  city  falsely  esteemed  great)  is  an 
opposite  of  the  holy  Jerusalem,  the  truly  great  city,  ap- 
pears as  a  matter  of  course.  That  the  Jerusalem  from 
above  is  a  figure  of  the  new  covenant  or  plan  of  redemption 
by  grace,  we  gather  from  a  declaration  of  the  apostle  Paul ; 
whence,  as  an  opposite,  we  conclude  Babylon  (the  great 
city  of  traffic)  to  be  the  figure  of  a  false  covenant,  or  false 
view  of  the  new  covenant.  As  the  new  covenant  has  a 
propitiatory  provision,  represented  by  the  communion  of  the 
blood  of  Christ,  (the  true  cup  of  blessing,)  so,  the  false 
view  of  that  covenant,  represented  by  the  harlot,  pro- 
fesses to  have  its  propitiatory  provision,  (the  harlot's  cup,) 
a  mixture  of  abominations,  equivalent  apparently  to  human 
inventions  for  propitiating  the  mercy  of  God  by  some 
meritorious  actions,  or  conduct  of  man,  as  a  substitute  for 
the  atonement  of  Christ;  The  cup  of  the  harlot,  as  well 
as  the  great  river  of  Babylon,  (the  Euphrates,)  are  oppo- 
sites  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life,  the  Babylonish 
river,  perhaps,  representing  human  means  of  atonement, 
or  of  satisfying  the  broken  law,  without  any  hypocritical 
pretension ;  while  the  cup  of  the  harlot  is  a  mixture  of 
human  means  with  a  pretension  to  share  in  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ.  The  abomination  of  the  harlot's  wine 
consisting  in  this  admixture  of  human  with  divine  merits, 
as  such  is  to  be  contrasted  with  the  purity  of  the  river  of 
the  water  of  life,  dear  as  crystal. 

The  harlot  is  represented  to  be  sustained  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  the  ten-horned  beast ;  as  the  mystery  of  self-justi- 


SCENES   AND    SYMBOLICAL   CONTRASTS.  73 

fication  may  sustain  a  pretension  to  the  power  of  a  pro- 
pitiation by  human  merit,  or  by  an  admixture  of  the 
merit  of  some  sacrifice  of  man,  together  with  a  partial 
dependence  upon  the  atonement  of  Christ.  The  harlot 
herself,  we  suppose  to  be  the  image  caused  to  be  created 
by  the  false  prophet,  as  a  means  of  sustaining  more  firmly 
the  power  of  the  beast ;  as  the  wife  of  the  Lamb  is  the 
image  of  the  Lamb. 

The  wilderness  of  the  Apocalypse,  is  an  opposite  of  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  (the  paradise  of  God,)  as  the  wilder- 
ness or  earth  of  Genesis,  is  an  opposite  of  paradise.  It 
represents  the  condition  of  man  under  the  law,  going 
about  to  establish  his  own  righteousness,  as  it  were  by  the 
sweat  of  his  brow.  This  position  corresponding  with  that 
in  which  the  cup  of  the  harlot  appears  the  great  resource, 
she  is  here  in  her  glory. 

The  harlot,  in  her  glory,  is  arrayed  in  the  various  colors 
and  decorations  of  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness.  We 
may  suppose  she  professes  great  zeal  for  the  laio,  and  that 
the  composition  of  her  cup  is  accordingly  a  mixture  of 
legality  and  self-righteousness,  with  its  other  pretensions. 
The  bride,  or  wife  of  the  Lamb,  in  her  glory,  appears  with 
no  other  decoration  than  that  of  a  raiment  of  fine  Hnen, 
pure  and  white,  symbolical  of  the  divine,  imputable  right- 
eousness, substituted  for  that  of  the  law  in  the  economy 
of  grace. 

The  true  economy  of  salvation  is  represented,  toward 
the  conclusion,  as  a  city  coming  down  from  God  out  of 
heaven,  her  splendid  appearance  corresponding  with  that 
of  her  first  appearance,  when  clothed  with  the  sun,  and 
the  moon  under  her  feet. 
4 


74    REMARKS  ON  THE  FORM  OF  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

The  false  economy,  as  a  city,  is  represented,  also,  toward 
the  close,  as  the  hold  of  every  foul  sj^irit,  and  the  cage  of 
every  unclean  bii'd,  referring  apparently  to  the  impure 
and  selfish  motives  of  action  generated  by  the  principles 
of  the  system.  So,  as  a  city,  Babylon  is  spoken  of  as  an 
emporium  of  traffic,  a  place  of  buying  and  selling,  in  allu- 
sion to  the  mercenary  principles  of  this  substitute  for  the 
true  means  of  salvation. 

In  the  description  of  the  holy  Jerusalem,  there  is  no 
allusion  to  commerce,  or  to  any  thing  like  progress  in  the 
acquisition  of  wealth,  power,  or  glory.  Every  thing  is 
represented  as  perfected;  the  holy  city  has  no  need  of 
traffic;  there  is  no  room  for  the  action  of  mercenary  mo- 
tives with  those  interested  in  her  welfare. 

The  Euphrates,  the  great  river  of  Babylon,  was  a  re- 
source liable  to  be  turned  aside.  According  to  historical 
account,*  as  well  as  that  of  the  Apocalyi:>se,  the  river  was 
an  instrument  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Babylonish  power. 
The  river  of  the  water  of  life,  in  the  midst  of  the  holy  city, 
flowing  from  the  fountain  of  divine  sovereignty,  and  hav- 
ing its  source  within  the  city  itself,  can  never  fail  or  be 
turned  from  the  du*ection  given  to  it  in  the  begioning. 

The  sea,  as  the  symbol  of  judicial  wrath,  is  an  ojDposite 
of  the  fountains  of  living  waters,  under  the  control  of  the 
Lamb ;  so,  mider  the  new  economy,  there  is  no  sea. 

The  bottomless  pit  is  an  opposite  of  Mount  Zion ;  as  a 
system  of  faith,  without  a  foundation,  is  an  opposite  of 

*  According  to  profane  writers,  the  city  was  taken  by  turning  the  course 
of  the  river;  according  to  the  Apocalypse,  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates 
preceded  the  fall  of  the  city. 


SCENES   AND    SYMBOLICAL   CONTEASTS.  75 

that  faith  which  rests  upon  Christy  (the  Word  of  God,) 
the  mountain,  or  rock,  that  can  not  be  removed. 

The  destruction  of  the  harlot  is  effected  by  the  ten 
horns  of  the  beast :  as  a  system  of  propitiation  by  human 
merit  must  be  destroyed,  when  tried  by  the  requisitions 
of  the  law.  The  bride,  or  wife  of  the  Lamb,  in  the  per- 
son of  the  Lamb,  overcomes  these  same  ten  horns^  or  ten 
kings :  as  the  vicarious  offering  of  Christ  overcomes  the 
penalty  of  the  law,  by  his  fulfillment  of  the  law. 

Babylon,  as  a  city,  is  destroyed  by  fire^  (the  revealed 
Word  of  God.)  Jerusalem,  as  a  city,  comes  down  from 
heaven,  being  a  city,  or  covenant,  of  which  God  and  the 
Lamb  is  the  light  and  glory.  These  opposites  of  the  ele- 
ments on  the  side  of  the  Word  of  God,  are  not  to  be  con- 
sidered unforeseen  obstacles,  which  the  Lamb,  or  the 
Word,  finds  it  difficult  to  overcome ;  they  are  all  fore- 
seen, and  provided  for,  and  controlled,  many  of  them 
being  instrumental  in  carrying  into  effect  that  wrath  of 
the  Lamb  which  is  the  subject  of  the  vision ;  and  all  afford- 
ing some  additional  illustration  of  the  meaning  of  the 
figures  mth  which  they  are  contrasted.  The  sting  of  the 
locusts  from  the  bottomless  pit,  and  of  the  serpents  from 
the  Eui^hrates,  are  opposites  of  the  leaves  of  the  tree  of 
life,  but  their  action  is  such  as  to  prepare  the  way  for  the 
victory  of  the  conqueror,  (the  Word  of  God ;)  as  the  con- 
viction of  sin,  and  of  the  need  of  some  other  than  a 
human  remedy,  leads  the  sufferer  to  seek  the  cure  repre- 
sented by  the  leaves  and  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  nourished 
by  the  river  of  the  water  of  life,  flowing  fi'om  the  throne 
in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God.  So,  death  and  hell, 
although  opposites  of  all  that  is  represented  by  the  Lamb 


16         KEMAEKS  ON  THE  FOEM  OP  THE  APOCALYPSE. 

as  it  had  been  slain,  (as  the  powers  of  condemnation  are  op- 
posites  of  the  power  of  justification,)  perform  nevertheless 
their  part  in  avenging  the  cause  of  Him  whose  triumph 
is  their  destruction.  The  whole  narrative  of  the  vision 
having  shown  that  death  (legal  condemnation)  has  ex- 
ercised a  permanent  power  only  over  elements  depending 
upon  the  earthly  system  of  justification  by  works,  there  is 
no  more  death  where  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men, 
as  there  is  no  condemnation  to  those  who  are  in  Christ 
Jesus. 


PART     II 


l^pml^i^tit  Ititrokciwn. 


^icmlptir  Introkctiaii 


CHAPTER    I. 

PRELIMINARY   REMARKS APOSTLE'S   PREFACE EPISTLE    TO 

THE  SEVEN  CHURCHES. 

As  in  a  former  work*  upon  the  same  subject,  we  have 
adopted  here  for  a  rule  of  interpretation,  the  view  that 
the  design  of  the  Apocalypse  is  to  exhibit  the  contest  be- 
tween truth  and  error  in  matters  of  Christian  faith ;  the 
final  triumph  of  the  truth  being  exhibited  m  the  unveil- 
uig  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Word  of  God,  which  unveil- 
ing is  the  purport  of  the  book. 

The  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  the  basis  of  the  dramatic  por- 
tion of  the  vision,  is  accordingly  taken  to  be  a  wrath 
against  erroneous  principles  or  doctrine ;  such,  for  exam- 
ple, as  are  opposed  to  the  element  of  divine  projDitiation, 
or  vicarious  offering  for  sin,  of  which  the  Lamb  "  as  it 
had  been  slain,"  is  a  personification.  So  we  have  consider- 
ed 171671^  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  as  they  are  called,  (as 
well  as  other  animals  and  earthly  elements,)  symbolical 

*  See  preface  to  Hyponoia. 


80  APOCALYPTIC   IXTEODUCTION. 

appellations  of  doctrinal  j^rinciples  or  powers  ;  applying  to 
such  principles  or  powers  the  d  enunciations  and  vindic- 
tive action  generally  apphed  in  a  literal  sense  to  the 
rational  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

To  this  rule,  however,  we  allow  some  exceptions,  where 
it  appears  evident  that  the  language  of  some  mterpretiiig 
voice,  or  angel,  is  to  be  apphed  more  directly  to  the  disci- 
ples of  Christ,  or  to  those  who  profess  to  be  such.  We 
feel  the  more  warranted  in  making  this  exception,  by 
noticing,  as  we  have  done,  the  part  often  assigned  to  the 
chorus  of  the  Greek  drama — ^that  of  indicating  the  myth, 
or  under  meaning  of  the  representation  ;  the  language  of 
a  chorus^  on  such  occasions,  being  susceptible,  of  an  appli- 
cation somewhat  different  from  that  of  the  other  perform- 
ers in  the  piece. 

We  adopt  as  a  fm-ther  rule  of  exegesis,  the  view  that 
the  design  of  the  vision  is  to  instruct  (edify)  professed 
disciples  of  Christ — ^those  who  call  themselves  Christians, 
members  of  the  visible  Church.  The  chastisement  is 
directed  against  incorrect  views  of  faith,  the  epistles,  with 
the  vision  accompanying  them,  being  directed  expressly 
to  certain  Christian  churches,  or  to  the  angels  of  such 
churches.  The  errors  to  be  corrected,  are  errors  prevail- 
ing among  Christians,  or  in  Christian  systems  of  doctrine. 
It  is  to  behevers  in  the  Gospel,  that  the  mystery  of  Christ 
is  here  unfolded.  It  is  to  those  who  akeady  look  up 
to  Christ*  as  the  source  of  instruction,  that  he  gives  this 
instruction.  It  is  to  his  disciples,  what  ever  =»  their  errors 
may  be,  that  he  here  imveils  liimself :  as  in  the  case  of 

*  And  look  for  him,  (Heb.  9  :  28.) 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  81 

the  Laodicean  church,  with  all  its  liikewarmness  and  self- 
sufficiency,  it  is  rebuked  and  chastened  as  an  object  of  af- 
fectionate regard. 

To  those  who  do  not  believe  in  Christ  as  the  truth^  and 
the  source  of  divine  truth,  this  unveiling  of  himself  would 
be  addressed  in  vain;*  but  those  who  do  beHeve  are 
enabled  to  see  in  him,  by  this  symbolical  revelation,  the 
divine  purpose  of  salvation  hy  sovereigji  grace^  of  which 
he  is  the  impersonation,  being  himself  the  purpose,  or 
mind^  (logos,)  of  God,  once  manifest  in  the  flesh.  To  such, 
therefore,  this  imveiling  so  far  fulfills  the  office  of  the  com- 
forter^ as  it  enables  them  to  see,  and  to  trust  to,  a  way  of 
salvation  which  their  own  merits  could  never  secure  them. 

The  vision,  thus  understood,  enables  us  to  perceive, 
also,  that  it  is  by  a  fuU  development  of  this  purpose  of  sove- 
reign grace,  that  errors  on  the  subject  of  Christian  faith 
are  to  be  corrected ;  and,  in  this  respect,  the  revelation 
performs  the  part  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  promised,  to  con- 
vict the  world  of  error ^  of  righteousness,  (justice,)  and 
of  judgment.  (John  16  :  8.) 

And  again,  if  the  representations  of  the  vision  compre- 
hend (as  we  think  they  do)  all  that  is  alluded  to  in  the 
Old  Testament,  as  well  as  in  the  New,  of  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, they  fulfill  also  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the 
followers  of  Christ,  of  teaching  them  all  things  and  bring- 
ing aU  things  to  their  remembrance — that  is,  aU  things 
relative  to  God's  plan  of  salvation. 

Such  being  the  purpose  of  the  vision,  we  are  now  to  see 
how  that  purpose  is  accomphshed.     In  pursuing  this  ex- 

*  A  case  parallel  to  that  alluded  to,  1  Cor.  5  :  12,  13. 
4* 


82  APOCALYPTIC   INTRODUCTION. 

animation  we  are  to  keep  in  view  the  unity  of  j^lan,  now 
arrived  at,  and  the  plot  as  exhibiting  the  progress,  con- 
flicts, and  triumph  of  a  principal  personage ;  that  person- 
age being  the  conqueror  ("  he  that  overcomes")  to  whom 
the  several  promises  are  made  in  the  introductory  epistles; 
that  is,  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  first  seen  going  forth 
with  his  bow,  "  conquering  and  to  conquer,"  and  m  the 
catastrophe  appearing  as  the  conqueror  of  the  beast, 
the  false  prophet,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their 
armies,  and  even  of  Satan,  death,  and  hell;  the  celebra- 
tion of  this  conqueror's  triumph  consisting  in  the  recogni- 
tion of  his  divine  character,  his  enjoyment  of  the  promised 
rewards,  and  his  glorious  appearance  under  the  several 
characters  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  Avife  of  the  Lamb, 
the  holy  Jerusalem,  constituting  the  manifestation  of  his 
07ieness  with  the  sovereign  of  all.* 

APOCALYPTIC  INTEODUCTION. 

The  dramatic  features  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  are  not 
exhibited  till  after  the  opening  of  the  door  in  heaven,  and 
the  call  of  the  apostle  up  thither.  The  introductory  mat- 
ter of  Kev.  1,  2,  3,  however  is  important,  as  furnishmg 
the  proper  stand-point  from  which  to  judge  of  the  design 
of  the  vision  and  the  manner  of  its  accomplishment. 

*^  The  term  spiritual,  of  which  an  occasional  use  has  been  made  in  this, 
and  more  freely  in  a  former  work,  having  been  variously  used,  or  abused, 
by  authors  and  speakers,  the  writer  deems  it  necessary  to  explain  here  that 
whenever  he  has  employed  it,  his  meaning  of^the  spiritual  sense  or  inter- 
pretation of  a  term  or  passage,  is  the  principle  of  doctrine  analogous  to  the 
figure  or  symbol  to  which  it  relates — which  meaning  he  now  occasionally 
terms  the  analogical  sense. 


THE    APOSTLE'S    PREFACE.  83 

Rev.  1  is  occupied  with  the  title  of  the  work,  the  in- 
scription of  it  to  the  churches,  with  some  prefatory  re- 
marks ;  a  relation  of  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
vision  was  vouchsafed  the  apostle ;  and  the  directions 
given  to  transmit  the  revelation  to  those  for  whose  use  it 
was  intended. 

Rev.  2  and  3  contain  the  introductory  letters  to  be 
transmitted  severally,  with  a  copy  of  the  whole  revelation, 
to  the  angels  of  each  of  the  churches  addressed.  These 
introductory  epistles  are  also  important  as  giving  an  iu- 
sight  into  the  character  of  the  churches,  or  systems,  allud- 
ed to ;  the  errors  for  which  their  angels  are  reproved,  or 
against  which  they  are  cautioned ;  and  those  correct 
views  for  which  they  are  commended. 

APOCALYPTIC  TITLE.* 

The  title  of  the  work  is,  according  to  the  Greek,  "  the 
imveiling\  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him  to 
show  to  his  servants  the  things  which  are  to  be  forthwith; 
and,  havmg  sent,  he  signified  them  through  his  angel  to  his 
servant  John." 

That  the  purport  of  this  book  is  the  unveiling  of  Jesus 
Christ  himself,  and  not  a  revelation,  by  him,  of  coming 
events  on  this  globe  of  earth,  is  an  important  distinction 
borne  out  by  a  thorough  analysis  of  the  whole  vision. 
Having  made  this  analysis,  however,  in  a  former  work,  we 
shall  not  do  it  here  with  the  same  particularity. 

This  mweiling  must  have  been  virtually  committed  to 

*  fv§  1,2.  \  %  2. 


84  APOCALYPTIC  INTKODUCTION. 

Christ,  when  the  divine  purpose  of  God  was  first  conceiv- 
ed in  his  unchangeable  mind;  that  is,  from  all  eternity. 
The  things  to  be  forthwith^  are  accordingly  the  things 
forthwith  to  be  set  forth,  or  manifested :  as  when  the 
apostle  Paul  speaks  of  the  Mngdom  being  given  up  to  the 
Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all,  he  must  allude  to  the 
manifestation  of  this  fact,  and  not  to  a  change  m  the  fact 
itself. 

The  word  translated  signified^  is  expressive  of  a  com- 
munication by  signs,  or  sjTnbols,  corresponding  with  the 
symboHc  representations  in  which  this  signification  is 
made.  So  the  appearance  of  the  woman  clothed  with 
the  sun,  and  that  of  the  red  dragon,  (Rev.  12  :  1,  3,)  are 
termed,  according  to  the  Greek,  signs. 

The  Greek  word  angel,  signifies  a  messenger,  and  by  a 
common  figure  of  speech,  the  messenger  is  here  j^ut  for 
the  message  or  vision. 

Thus  the  unveihng  of  himself,  committed  to  Christ,  he 
symbolized  in  vision  to  the  apostle  John,  The  apostle,  in 
describing  himself,  refers  to  the  Gospel  bearing  his  name. 
This  reference  is  important,  as  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is 
a  close  connection  between  John's  Gospel  testimony  of  the 
Word,  and  the  revelation  made  by  Jesus  Christ  of  him- 
self in  this  vision  of  the  same  Word. 

The  declaration  of  blessedness  (Rev.  1  :  3)  occupies 
the  place  of  a  motto  on  the  title-page  of  a  book ;  but 
it  is  evident  no  ordinary  reading,  hearing.,  and  keeping 
are  here  alluded  to.  The  blessedness,  or  happiness, 
spoken  of  must  be  equivalent  to  that  of  one  who,  in  the 
contemplation  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace,  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  feels  an 


THE    apostle's   PREFACE.  85 

assurance  that  he  himself  may  be  one  of  those,  according 
to  this  purpose,  whose  transgressions  are  forgiven,  and  to 
whom  the  Lord  will  not  impute  sin.  Thus  the  reason 
given  for  the  blessedness  is  that  "  the  time  is  at  hand," 
the  development  of  this  blessed  provision  is  now  being 
made. 

The  inscription  to  the  seven  churches,  is  in  the  style  of 
apostohc  greeting,  of  which  we  shall  only  remark  here, 
that  the  grace  spoken  of,  must  be  the  grace  of  God,  ex- 
cmpMed  in  the  plan  of  salvation  about  to  be  set  forth — 
t  lie  free  gift  of  that  salvation  ;  as  the  »e«ce  also  must  be 
that  resulting  fi*om  reconcihation  with  God  through  the 
atonement  of  Christ.  Taking  these  seven  churches  as 
symbolical  exponents  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  the  expres- 
sion is  equivalent  to  a  prayer  that  these  exponents  may 
exhibit,  in  their  system  of  doctrme,  the  grace  and  peace 
alluded  to,  in  its  proper  light. 

The  seven  spirits  lefore  the  throne  of  God,  afterward 
described  as  seven  lamps  of  fire,  may  be  considered  seven 
operations  or  manifestations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  hnmedi- 
ately  connected  with  the  element  of  divine  sovereignty. 
x\s  the  source  of  the  grace  and  peace  mentioned,  they  are 
opposites  of  the  seven  heads  of  the  great  dragon,  as  the 
divine  plan  of  redemption  is  an  opposite  of  the  serpent's 
sting.   (See  Appendix  A.) 

The  title  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  prmce  or  chief  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  is  made  good  in  the  vision,  by  the  triumph 
of  the  Word  of  God  over  the  kings  of  the  old  earth,  and 
the  tribute  brought  into  the  holy  city  by  the  kmgs  of  the 
new  earth.  (Rev.  19  and  22.) 

In  the  ascription  of  glory  and  dominion  to  Christ,  the 


86  ArOCALYPTIC   INTBODUCnON. 

expression  "  wlio  washed  ics  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God,"  is 
evidently  to  be  confined  here  to  the  apostle,  and  those 
whom  he  addresses,  (John  and  the  seven  churches.)  It  cor- 
responds with  the  language  of  the  four  beasts  (living  crea- 
tures) and  of  the  twenty-four  elders,  who  speak  of  them- 
selves as  having  been  made  kings  and  priests  unto  God, 
and  as  having  been  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
(Rev.  5  :  8,  9.)  In  both  cases  there  is  a  personification  of 
exponents,  or  leading  principles  of  doctrine :  kings  or 
chiefs  in  their  ruling  character,  and  priestly  in  their  fimc- 
tions  of  promoting  the  true  worship  of  God ;  "  redeemed," 
as  true  principles  brought  out  from  the  midst  of  a  multitude 
of  errors,  by  the  revelation  of  the  vicarious  work  of 
Christ,  (the  blood  of  the  Lamb.) 

Immediately  after  this  ascription  to  Jesus  Christ,  the 
apostle  exclaims :  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds,  and 
every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  which  pierced  him,  and 
all  the  kindreds  (tribes)  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of 
him."* 

To  perceive  the  connection  of  this  exclamation  with  the 
succeeding  matter  of  the  vision,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  clouds  mentioned  are  figurative  clouds ;  that  the 
coming  consists  in  the  unveilhig  which  Jesus  Christ  here 
makes  of  himself,  by  signs  and  symbolical  or  figurative 
representations,  these  being  the  clouds  alluded  to ;  that 
the  earth  is  a  figure  of  the  system  or  platform  of  justifica- 
tion by  works  of  the  law,  "  the  kindreds"  or  tribes  of  the 
earth,  being  the  principles  and  elements  of  doctrine  con- 


17,  18. 


THE   APOSTLE'S    PREFACE.  87 

nected  with,  and  dependent  upon  this  earthly  platform. 
These  tribes  of  the  earth  have  thus  the  same  cause  to 
mourn  at  the  development  about  to  be  made,  as  an  advo- 
cate of  the  legal  system  here  represented  might  be  sup- 
posed to  have,  in  view  of  such  a  revelation  of  the  truth 
of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace  alone,  as  would  set  his 
theory  of  works  entirely  at  naught.* 

The  immediate  instruments  in  crucifying  and  piercing 
the  Lord  Jesus,  were  but  agents  of  earthly  literal  powers  ; 
as  such,  these  powers  and  their  instruments  were  types 
of  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system,  their  action  cor- 
responding with  the  requisitions  of  the  law,  by  which  the 
vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ  became  indispensable. 

The  exclamation  of  the  apostle,  announcing  this  commg, 
is  responded  to  by  the  voice  of  one  who  declares  himself  to 
be  the  Alpha  and  Omega — ^the  Almighty  If  as  if  he  had 
said,  It  is  even  so — I  am  now  coming  ;  this  advent  being  a 
tiling  to  be  seen  by  the  eye  of  the  understanding,  in  the 
subsequent  revelation,  not  merely  of  the  letter,  but  of  the 
spirit  of  the  revealed  word,  its  analogical  sense. 

The  several  appellations  here  assumed  by  the  speaker, 
seem  to  be  given  in  the  outset,  m  order  that  we  may 
identify  him  with  any  of  those  subsequently  employed. 

The  divine  character  of  him  who  is  thus  about  to  come, 
and  the  manner  of  that  coming  being  defined,  the  apostle 
describes  his  own  circumstances,  at  the  time  of  being 
favored  with  the  vision ;  the  directions  he  received  for  com- 

*  So  we  find  these  earthly  tribes  and  powers  described  as  in  a  state  of 
panic,  (Rev.  6  :  15,)  and  so  they  seem  to  be  al hided  to  by  our  Saviour, 
(Ar-dtt.  24  :  30.) 

+  The  source  also  of  grace  and  peace.     See  Uev.  1  .  4,  and  compare. 


88  APOCALYPTIC    INTKODUCTION. 

municating  it  to  others,  and  the  letters  he  was  to  write,  in- 
closing the  communication ;  thus  exhibiting  the  cause  of 
this  remarkable  development,  and  securing  a  proper  at- 
tention to  it. 

The  confinement  of  John,  in  the  island  of  Patmos,  is  a 
matter  of  history  which,  correctly  used,  might  have  pre- 
vented many  mistakes  in  the  aj^plication  of  the  vision  to 
temporal  matters.  But  with  this  we  have  nothing  to  do 
here,  our  purpose  being  only  to  show  what  we  believe  to 
be  the  bearing  of  the  symbolical  representation  uj^on  mat- 
ters of  faith  and  Christian  doctrine. 

John  was,  he  says,  in  spirit  in  the  Lord-day  /*  an  ex- 
pression equivalent  to  saying,  that  in  a  vision,  or  a  trance, 
he  found  himself  present  in  the  day  of  the  Lord^  the  day 
when  the  Son  of  Man  is  unveiled^  (Luke  17  :  30,)  the 
day  of  the  Lord,  and  the  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ,  being 
nearly  equivalent  expressions,!  and  both  in  keeping  with 
the  announcement,  "  Behold,  he  cometh."  Corresponding 
with  this,  the  apostle,  in  spirit^  heard  a  great  voice,  as  of 
the  sou7id  of  a  trumpet ;  the  sound  predicted  as  ushering 
in  the  sign  of  the  appearance  of  the  Son  of  Man,  abeady 
referred  to,  (Matt.  24  :  30,  31.) 

The  voice  uttered,  being  that  of  one  who  announces 
himself  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  must  be  equivalent  to  the 
voice  of  the  Almighty;  and  John,  turning  to  see  the 
voice,  and  seeing  immediately  the  "  one  like  unto  the  Son 
of  Man, "  the  inference  is  that  this  latter,  and  the  Almighty, 
are  the  same  being,  whatever  may  be  the  manifestation ; 

*  §  24. 

t  We  do  not  rest  our  interpretation  of  the  dai/  on  this  appellation  alone  ; 
we  think  it  borne  out  by  the  whole  purport  of  the  vision. 


THE    APOSTLE'S   PEEFACE.  80 

it  is  accordingly  by  divine  direction,  that  the  apostle 
writes  his  book,  and  sends  it  to  the  seven  churches  in 
Asia. 

The  appearance  of  one  Hke  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  was 
an  appearance  familiar  to  the  apostle — one  in  which  he 
could  not  be  mistaken.  He  thus  recognized  in  the  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  form  of  him,  who,  in  his  last  interview, 
left  the  intimation,  that  this  apostle  should  tarry  till  he 
came — an  intimation  now  apparently  made  good;  the 
coming  and  the  unveiling  of  Christ  being  nearly  syno- 
nymous terms. 

The  array,*  of  the  one  Hke  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  cor- 
responding with  that  of  an  officiating  high-priest,  (Rev.  1  : 
13,)  indicates  his  character  here  as  mediator,  or  intercessor; 
while  his  position  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks 
points  him  out  as  the  centre  of  that  system  of  faith  of 
which  the  churches  are,  or  should  be,  the  exponents.  The 
lustrous  whiteness  of  his  head  and  hair,f  or  beard,  sym- 
bolizes, as  a  white  robe  would  do,  his  perfect  right- 
eousness ;  the  completeness  of  the  garment,  "  down  to  the 
foot,"  indicating  the  all-sufficiency  of  that  righteousness  as 
a  means  of  justification.  The  feet  of  fine  brass,  symbolize 
apparently  the  strength,  or  power,  and  progress  of  re- 
vealed truth ;  the  trying  effect  of  that  progress  upon  all 
erroneous  views,  being  shown  in  their  hurning  appearance ; 
the  sound  of  many  waters  is  a  sound  that  overcomes  all 
others,  and  such  is  the  voice  of  Gospel  truth  when  fully 
developed. 

*  §  29. 

t  The  lucid  whiteness  of  the  "head  and  hair,"  reminds  us  of  "the  Ancient 
of  Days,"  seen  by  the  prophet  Daniel,  and  noay  symbolize  the  attribute  of 
eternal  existence. 


90  APOCALYPTIC    INTEODUCTION. 

The  seven  stars  are  defined  to  be  the  angels  of  the 
seven  churches ;  but  then-  position  in  the  right  hand  of  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  indicate  rather  his  right  to  control 
them,  than  their  submission  to  that  control ;  as  we  should 
judge  from  the  reproofs  administered  in  the  epistles.  The 
candlesticks,  representing  the  churches,  being  golden^  of 
the  same  comj^osition  as  the  girdle  of  the  perfect  garment, 
are  to  be  considered  vehicles  of  Gospel  truths  the  perver- 
sions afterwards  noticed  being  charged  upon  the  angels 
of  the  churches ;  as,  in  one  case,  the  removal  of  the  candle- 
stick, or  church,  is  threatened,  in  case  of  the  impenitence 
of  the  angel,  (Rev.  2:5;)  the  light  being  bad,  its  power 
to  misrepresent  the  Gospel,  is  taken  away. 

The  two-edged  sword,*  out  of  the  mouth  of  Him  whose 
voice  is  as  the  sound  of  many  waters,  like  the  cloven  tongues 
of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  bespeaks  the  two-fold  language 
of  revelation — the  letter,  and  the  spiiit ;  his  countenance 
as  the  sun,  corresponding  with  a  manifestation  of  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness. 

In  recognizing,  in  the  form  of  his  beloved  Master,  the 
di\dne  character  of  him  who  hath  said,  "There  is  no  man 
that  can  see  my  face  and  live,"  (Ex.  33  :  20,)  the  apostle 
falls  as  dead  at  his  feet ;  but  being  raised  with  the  as- 
surance, "  Fear  not,"  he  is  taught  that,  in  his  Saviour  and 
Mediator,  he  may  see  the  face  of  God  with  safety,  "  he 
that  liveth  and  was  dead,"  being  raised  for  the  justification 
of  his  followers,  as  he  died  for  their  sins. 

The  keys  of  death  and  hell,f  in  the  possession  of  Christ, 
must  be  the  means  of  unlocking,  or  developing,  the  mys- 

*  §  33.  t  §§  37,  38. 


THE   APOSTLE'S   PREFACE.  91 

teries  of  legal  death  and  condemnation ;  in  reference  to 
which  Paul  says:  "I  was  alive  once  without  the  law,  but 
when  the  law  came,  sin  revived,  and  I  died.''''  It  would 
be  equally  true,  if  we  defined  the  possession  of  the  keys, 
as  the  power  of  dehvering  from  death  and  hell,  but  we 
think  the  unlocking  of  mysteries  is  more  in  keepmg  here 
with  the  general  purport  of  the  vision.  As  these  two 
characters  are  afterwards  represented  to  be  combatants, 
we  shall  have  occasion  to  notice  them  in  another  place,  as 
also  to  notice  the  superior  power,  by  which  they  are 
brought  into  subjection. 

The  apostle  is  here  again  directed  to  write^  the  matter 
to  be  written  being  the  things  which  he  has  seen,  which 
he  sees,  and  which  he  is  to  see  in  this  vision ;  these 
things  having  a  relation  to  the  mystery  of  the  seven  stars 
spoken  of  in  the  same  connection.  This  we  shaU  under- 
stand better,  by  comparing  the  purport  of  the  subsequent 
representation,  with  the  reproofs  and  warnings  admin- 
istered to  these  stars,  or  angels.* 

As  we  consider  the  New  Jerusalem,  sometimes  called 
n  Scripture  the  Church,  a  figure  of  the  ISTew  Testament 
dispensation,  so  we  consider  these  seven  churches  of 
Asia,  figures  of  so  many  exponents  of  this  same  new  cove- 
nant, or  divine  plan  of  salvation.  (Gal.  4  :  24,  26.)  As 
the  material  of  the  holy  city  is  represented  to  be  of  gold^ 
(truth  itself)  these  churches  are  also  represented  by  can- 
dlesticks of  GOLD  ;  whence  we  infer  that  as  systems  or  ex- 
ponents of  the  faith  in  Christ  they  are  tnie  in  themselves ; 
but  that  under  certain  influences,  perhaj^s  of  misinterpre- 

*  For  a  particular  analysis  of  this  description  of  the  Son  of  Man,  see 
^§  30-34. 


92  APOCALYPTIC   INTRODUCTION. 

tation  or  misconstruction,  the  correction  of  wMcli  is  the 
design  of  the  revelation,  the  truth  they  represent  is  in 
danger  of  being  placed  in  a  false  light  ;*  a  danger  to  be 
guarded  against  by  exposing  the  nature  of  the  errors  ap- 
parently countenanced  by  some  of  the  angels,  and  unveil- 
ing the  opposite  truths. 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  ANGEL   OF  THE  CHTJKCH   IN  EPHESXJS. 

The  angel  of  this  church  is  commended  for  works,  for 
labor,  for  patience,  for  fidelity  m  trying  certain  false  doc- 
trines, and  for  perseverance  for  the  sake  and  on  account  of 
the  name  of  Him  who  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right 
hand,  and  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candle- 
sticks;! but  he  is  reproved /or  having  left  his  first  love. 
He  has  lost  that  love  without  which,  according  to  the 
apostle  Paul,  all  these  works  are  nothing.  This  love  we 
apprehend  to  be  that  of  a  saved  sinner  for  his  God  and 
Saviour,  which  is  the  proper  return  of  the  love  of  God  to 
him,  as  it  is  said,  "  we  love  him  because  he  first  loved  us." 
It  is  that  gratitude  for  the  benefit  of  a  salvation  fi-eely 
given,  which  furnishes  the  Christian  with  the  only  motive 
of  conduct  acceptable  to  God.J 

The  Mussulman  sufi(ers  for  Mahomet's  name-sake.  He  is 
not  actuated  by  love  for  Mahomet,  or  by  gratitude  for  the 

*  As  the  light  thrown  upon  any  object  by  a  star  may  differ  from  that 
afforded  by  the  sun,  in  kind  as  well  as  in  degree. 

t  The  source  of  this  admonition  seems  to  intimate  that  as  Christ  wae 
seen  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks,  so  the  love  of  Christ  is  the  cen- 
tral point  from  which  every  Christian  virtue  should  radiate. 

X  §43. 


EPISTLES   TO   THE   CHUECHES.  93 

love  Mahomet  has  shown  him ;  he  only  looks  forward  to 
the  recompense  promised  for  his  fidelity  and  martyrdom. 

The  fault  of  this  angel  may  be  compared  to  that  of  a 
Christian  disciple,  who,  when  first  converted,  imder  a  sense 
of  his  entire  unworthiness,  and  the  conviction  that  his 
salvation  through  Christ  is  indeed  2^  free  gif%  feels  in  some 
degree,  at  least,  the  gratitude  or  love  here  alluded  to ; 
afterwards  having  acquired,  as  he  supposes,  a  certain  per- 
fection in  Christian  attaiaments,  he  thinks  there  is  some 
worthiness  in  himself,  and  that  his  own  merits  have  a  share 
(perhaps  a  large  share)  in  the  salvation  he  expects  to  en- 
joy. He  no  more  feels  it  to  be  a  free  gift,  and  conse- 
quently loses  that  sense  of  gratitude  for  the  benefit 
which  he  once  had ;  he  has  lost  his  first  love.  He  still  la- 
bors and  suffers,  and  is  zealous  for  the  truth,  but,  nke  the 
Mussulman,  he  is  operated  upon  by  the  expectation  of  a 
recompense  for  his  works. 

The  Ephesian  angel,  we  may  suppose,  puts  such  a  con- 
struction upon  the  system  of  doctrine  under  his  influence 
as  to  have  the  effect  here  described.  The  fault  is  not  in 
the  church  or  system  itself,  but  it  is  in  the  construction 
put  upon  it.  This  appears  from  the  threatened  removal 
of  the  golden  candlestick  iq  default  of  a  change  of  views 
on  the  part  of  the  star. 

The  angel,  however,  is  commended  for  hating  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  apparently  can  not  differ 
much  from  that  with  which  the  Laodicean  angel  is  re- 
proached as  so  extremely  nauseous,  (Rev.  3  :  16,)  both 
being  hateful  to  him  who  is  in  the  midst  of  these  churches.* 

Here  one  of  the  promises  to  the  conqueror  is  given,  to 

*  §  45. 


94  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

which  we  have  had  occasion  to  refer  in  the  former  part  of 
this  work.  Ha\Tng  there  shown  that  the  individual  re- 
ferred to  as  "  he  that  overcometh"  must  be  the  Word  of 
God,  (see  Part  I.,  chap.  5,)  it  is  unnecessary  to  enlarge  upon 
the  expression  here  any  further  than  to  remark  that  it  seems 
the  design  of  this  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ  to  show  that 
He  (the  Word  once  made  flesh,  the  Lamb  of  God)  has 
performed  the  whole  work  of  salvation  for  his  redeemed, 
thus  showing  his  love  (the  love  of  God)  to  them,  in  re- 
turn for  which  theii*  gratitude  or  love  is  due. 

The  admonition,  "  He  that  hath  ears  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches,"  is  found  in  each  of 
these  seven  epistles  in  immediate  connection  with  the 
promise  to  the  conqueror,  and  seems  intended  to  direct 
attention  to  the  peculiarly  mystic  sense  of  the  passage. 
The  ear  required  is  that  capable  of  hearing  what  the 
spirit  says,  as  distinguished  from  the  letter;  the  mider 
sense,  instead  of  the  obvious  or  apparent  sense,  conveying 
the  instruction  intended.* 

EPISTLE  TO   THE  ANGEL   OP  THE  CHXJECH  IN  SMTENA. 

To  the  angel  of  this  church,  the  speaker  addresses  him- 
self as  "  the  fii*st  and  the  last,  which  was  dead  and  which 
is  alive,"  referring  at  once  to  his  divine  character,  and  to 
his  vicarious  work  as  the  once  dead  but  risen  Saviour. 

This  angel  is  commended  also  for  works,  suffering,  and 
self-abasement,  although  really  rich,  (that  is,  rich  in  the 
merits  of  Christ ;)  but  there  is  an  exposure  to  the  danger 
of  certain  anti-evangelical  influences,  and  these  even  of  a 


EPISTLES   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  95 

blasphemous  character:  figuratively,  those  "who  say 
they  are  Jews*  but  are  not."  They  are  not  true  Jews  in 
the  Pauline  sense,  (Phil.  3:3.)  They  are  such  as  those  to 
whom  Paul  would  not  give  place  by  subjection,  as  he  says, 
"  no,  not  for  an  hour."  (Gal.  2:5.)  They  teach  a  de- 
pendence upon  the  merits  of  man — a  dependence  upon 
works ;  the  effect  of  which  is  to  bring  the  disciple  under 
the  power  of  the  law,  an  effect  similar  to  that  produced 
in  paradise  by  tasting  the  forbidden  fruit,  for  which  rea- 
son they  are  said  to  be  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan  ;  the 
bondage  of  the  law  being  also  alluded  to  as  a  state  of 
imprisonment.  These  anti-evangelical  elements  are  repre- 
sented as  partially  successful,  by  the  action  of  Satan  in 
casting  some,  the  true  ones,  into  prison  for  ten  days  ;  so 
permitted  that  they  may  he  tried.  The  action  of  these 
legal  influences  upon  the  construction  of  the  system  repre- 
sented by  the  church,  is  such  apparently  as  to  bring  its 
Gospel  character  to  the  test. 

The  term  synagogue\  is  here  used  as  an  opposite  of 
that  of  the  church;X  the  synagogue,  or  doctrinal  system 
of  Satan,  being  an  opposite  of  the  church,  or  Gospel  sys- 
tem of  Christ.  As  Satan  is  afterwards  defined  to  be  "  the 
accuser  of  the  brethren,"  so  we  suppose  these  figurative 
members  of  his  synagogue  to  be  accusing  legal  elements, 
under  which  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  suffer  tribulation, 
till  they  triumph,  as  did  the  brethren  in  heaven,  by  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.     (Rev.  12  :  10,  11.) 

The  crown  of  life  promised  the  angel  for  his  fidelity  in 

*  §§  51-53.  t  §  53. 

t  The  term  rendered  church,  signifies  something  elect  or  select,  which  is 
not  implied  in  that  of  synagogue. 


96  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

this  contest,  is  the  evidence  of  liis  triumph  over  the  pseudo- 
Jewish  elements,  being  such  a  crown  as  was  given  to  the 
successful  competitor  in  the  public  games;  differing  in 
this  resjDect  from  the  crown,  or  diadem^  a  token  of  im- 
perial dignity  and  power. 

The  reference  to  the  conquerer  here,  may  apply  more 
particularly  to  the  blasphemy  of  those  who  say  they  are 
Jews  ;  that  blasphemy  consisting  in  the  pretension  of 
elevating  the  disciple  to  the  position  of  the  conqueror; 
thus  inculcating  an  assumption  by  man  of  a  dignity  and 
power  belonging  to  God  alone,  (see  Rev.  2  :  27  ;  3  :  21,) 
the  first  and  the  last,  the  beginning  and  ending  of  the 
whole  work  of  salvation. 

EPISTLE  TO   THE   ANGEL   OF  THE   CHUECH   IN  PEEGAMOS. 

To  this  angel  the  speaker  addresses  himself  as  having 
"  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges,"  indicating  the  dis- 
crimination to  be  made  between  the  letter  and  the  spirit 
of  written  revelation,  as  well  as  between  the  joint  action  of 
the  two,  and  that  of  the  letter  only  ;  a  peculiarity  which 
this  angel  perhaps  has  especially  occasion  to  keep  in  view. 
He  is  commended  for  his  steadfastness  in  certain  particu- 
lars, notwithstanding  the  very  unfavorable  position  in 
which  he  is  placed,  dwelling  "where  Satan's  seat  is." 

Satan's  seat,  or  throne^  is  where  the  power  of  the  law 
is  predominant.  He  is  the  legal  accuser,  and  as  such  oi> 
posed  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  ;  opposed  also  to  the 
vicarious  suffering  of  Christ,  who  seems  to  be  aUuded  to 
imder  the  name  of  Antipas,  {in  behalf  of  all.)     Where 

*  §  59. 


EPISTLES   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  97 

Satan  dwells  and  reigns  the  element  of  Christ's  atonement 
is  lost  sight  of,  (Antipas  is  there  slain.) 

Notwithstanding  this  disadvantage,  the  angel  of  this 
church  relies  on  the  power  of  Christ,  and  professes  his 
name,  although,  as  would  appear  from  what  follows,  with- 
out any  definite  idea  of  the  wholeness  of  his  vicarious  work. 

While  the  angel  contends  against  the  power  of  Satan, 
the  open  enemy,  there  appear  to  be  some  insidious  in- 
fluences gaining  admission  into  his  construction  of  the  re- 
vealed word ;  "  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam," 
which  doctrine,  as  described  here,  seems  to  characterize 
the  admission  of  a  certain  mixture  of  principles,  inculcating 
dependence  partly  upon  one's  own  merits,  and  partly  upon 
the  merits  of  Christ ;  which  mixture  leads  away  the  mind 
from  the  worship  of  God,  (the  only  Saviour,)  to  the  wor- 
ship of  one's  self,  or  of  one's  own  goodness,  as  the  efficient 
cause  or  means  of  salvation ;  the  idolatry  of  many,  who 
would  be  the  last  to  suppose  themselves  capable  of  break- 
ing the  first  commandment.  Yet  he  who  trusts  to  some 
merit  or  work  of  his  own  for  his  acceptance  with  God, 
and  his  inheritance  of  eternal  life,  regards  himself  as  his 
own  saviour,  thus  virtually  worshipping  himself;  his  own 
goodness,  in  whatever  it  may  consist,  being  virtually  the 
god  of  his  idolatry.  The  insidious  character  of  these 
mixed  views  is  too  evident  to  need  illustration  ;  yet  they 
are  often  found  in  theories  of  doctrine,  where  the  power 
of  Christ  in  fulfilling  the  law  is  strenuously  maintained. 

Nearly  akin  to  the  doctrine  of  Balaam  must  be  that  of 
the  Nicolaitanes ;  except  that  this  last  appears  to  be 
something  more  directly  opposed  to  the  glory  of  Christ.* 

*  §  63. 


98  APOCALYPTIC   INTEODUCTION. 

The  name  is  said  to  signify  the  victory  of  the  people; 
and  contrasting  this  with  the  promise  to  the  true  victor, 
or  conqueror,  we  may  presume  the  tendency  of  the  doc. 
trine  to  be  such  as  to  ascribe  to  the  disciples  of  Christ  the 
glory  due  to  their  divine  head,  in  the  achievement  of  their 
salvation ;  ascribing  to  the  merits  or  works  of  man  the 
victory,  which,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  is  obtained 
only  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     (1  Cor.  15  :  57.) 

The  errors  alluded  to,  we  suppose  to  be  those  of  con- 
struction or  interpretation,  and  that  these  arise  from 
attention  to  the  letter  only  of  divine  revelation,  or  from  a 
misapplication  of  the  letter ;  accordingly  the  speaker 
threatens,  unless  there  be  a  change  of  views,*  to  fight 
against  the  errors  with  the  sword  of  his  mouthy  that  is,  the 
sword  of  the  spirit^  as  distinguished  fi*om  that  of  the  let. 
ter ;  the  sword  by  which,  as  it  will  be  seen,  the  Word  of 
God  obtains  the  victory  in  the  great  battle  of  Armaged- 
don. 

Having  already  commented  upon  the  promise  here  given 
to  the  conqueror,  (Part  I.,  chap.  5,)  we  have  only  further  to 
remark  in  this  place,  that  its  application  in  showing  that 
there  is  but  one  conqueror,  that  is  Christ,  (the  Lamb  of 
God  and  the  Word  of  God,)  is  an  antidote  to  the  poison- 
ous influence  both  of  the  Balaamic  and  Nicolaitane  doc- 
trines. 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  ANGEL  OF  THE   CHURCH    OF  THYATIRA. 

To  the  angel  of  this  church  the  same  speaker  announces 
himself  plainly  as  the  Son  of  God ;  the  reference  to  his 

*  §  64. 


EPISTLES   TO   THE   CHUKCHES.  99 

eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  like  fine  brass, 
(with  a  burning  appearance  as  first  described,)  indicatmg 
the  trying  process,  here,  perhaps,  especially  called  for.* 

The  works,  charity,  service,  faith,  and  patience  of  this 
angel,  are  recognized,  the  works  and  patience  "  more  than 
the  first."  What  the  degree  of  these  good  qualities  may 
be,  is  not  announced ;  but  there  is  evidently  a  deficiency 
in  theu'  character,  judging  from  the  reproof  in  immediate 
connection.  There  is  an  evil  influence  operating  in  the 
system  of  faith,  or  views  of  doctrine,  figuratively  spoken 
of  as  the  teaching  of  "  that  woman  Jezebel,  who  calleth 
herself  a  prophetess "  j  such  a  false  prophetess  being  the 
figure  of  a  false  gloss  or  interpretation  of  written  reve- 
lation. 

The  tendency  of  this  woman's  teaching  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  Balaam  doctrine,  inculcating  a  mixture  of  prin- 
ciples, and  fostering  an  idolatrous  worship.  As  a  false 
prophetess,  Jezebel  corresponds  with  the  two-horned 
beast,  or  false  prophet,  afterwards  described  (Rev.  13  : 
14)  as  causing  an  image  of  the  beast  to  be  created,  thus 
introducing  an  idolatrous  object  of  worship. 

As  the  soothsayers  of  old  pretended  to  announce  the 
will  and  purpose  of  their  deities,  so  these  false  interpret- 
ers (put  for  their  interpretations)  profess  to  give  the 
true  meaning  of  divine  revelation,  by  the  false  construc- 
tion put  upon  the  letter  of  the  written  word.  This  con- 
struction is  of  so  plausible  and  insidious  a  character,  that 
its  idolatrous  tendency  can  only  be  detected  by  the  eyes 
of  Him  who  searcheth  the  reins  and  the  heart.f 

The  word  translated  ted  here,  (Rev.  2:22,)  should  have 

*  §§  69,  70.  t  §§  73,  77. 


100  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

been  rendered  hier.  To  cast  upon  a  hier  is  equivalent 
to  treat  one  so  cast  as  a  dead  body :  analogically,  it  is 
exposing  the  want  of  the  spirit  in  the  matter  tried — its  in- 
consistency with  the  true  spkit  and  purport  of  the  writ- 
ten word.  Thus  the  false  construction,  and  mixed  and 
idolatrous  principles  connected  with  it,  are  threatened 
with  exposure  and  destruction ;  as  it  is  said  also  of  the 
offspring  of  this  misconstruction,  "  I  will  kill  her  children 
with  death ;"  showiag  the  condemnatory  nature  of  the 
principles  emanating  from  this  Jezebelian  influence.  So 
we  suppose  the  giving  to  each  according  to  their  works, 
to  be  equivalent  to  exposing  the  real  character  of  the 
elements  referred  to. 

The  style  is  here  somewhat  changed ;  instead  of  ad- 
dressing the  angel  in  the  singular  number,  the  plural  is 
employed.  Considering  this  church  as  one  of  the  golden 
candlesticks,  (Rev.  1  :  20,)  we  still  presume  that,  as  a  sys- 
tem of  faith,  it  is  itself  pure  and  precious  truth  ;  but  some 
of  its  principles  have  been  seduced,  and  foreign  principles 
have  been  introduced,  under  the  influence  of  the  miscon- 
struction described.  Others  not  having  suffered,  or  not 
having  been  generated  from  this  influence,  are  personified 
as  members  who  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  have  not 
known  the  depths  of  Satan.  These  are  requu-ed  only  to 
remain  faithful;  "none  other  burden  being  put  upon 
them;"  an  expression  corresponding  so  closely  with  the 
language  of  the  apostolic  epistle  to  the  disciples  at  Anti- 
och,  (Acts.  15  :  28,)  as  apparently  to  indicate  a  similarity 
in  the  two  cases.* 

*  The  Thyatiran  church  was  distinguished  for  its  worlcs,  but  apparently 
those  works  did  not  spring  from  right  motives ;  not  being  such  as  to  sus- 


EPISTLES  TO   THE   CHURCHES.  101 

"  The  depths  of  Satan"  we  take  to  be  the  plausible  arti- 
fices of  the  spirit  of  legal  accusation,  bringing  the  disciple 
ultimately  under  the  power  of  the  broken  law ;  a  conse- 
quence of  Jezebelian  false  interpretation.  As  by  a  mis- 
construction of  the  language  of  the  written  word,  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ  may  be  so  perverted  as  to  represent  the  plan 
of  salvation  by  grace^  in  the  light  of  salvation,  or  rather 
justification,  by  works,  (the  merits  of  man,)  necessarily 
involving  the  disciple  in  the  condemnation  of  the  law — 
that  law  applying  to  the  motive  (the  heart  and  the  reins) 
as  well  as  to  the  outward  act. 

For  this  error  the  promise  directing  attention  to  the 
only  conqueror  is  a  corrective.  The  promise  here  (Rev.  2 : 
26,  27)  is  so  explicit,  and  accords  so  exactly,  as  we  have 
shown  elsewhere,  (Part  L,  chap.  5,)  with  the  promise  made 
to  the  Son,  (Ps.  2  :  8,  9,)  with  what  is  said  of  the  child 
caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne,  (Rev.  12  :  5,)  and  with 
the  description  of  the  conquering  Word  of  God,  that  there 
can  be  no  misapprehension  in  respect  to  it,  when  these 
are  duly  considered.* 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  ANGEL  OF  THE  CHUECH  IN  SAEDIS. 

In  this  address,  the  speaker  is  identified  with  the  source  of 
grace  and  peace  (Rev.  1  :  4)  by  his  possession  of  the  seven 

tain  the  searching  of  "  the  reins  and  the  heart."  Instead  of  being  the 
offspring  of  faith  in  Christ,  they  proceed  rather  from  a  want  of  faith  in  his 
work,  and  a  belief  of  the  necessity  of  something  more  on  the  part  of  the  dis- 
ciple to  secure  salvation ;  as  the  Judaizing  teachers  troubled  the  Gentile 
converts,  inculcating  the  necessity  of  circumcision,  thus,  according  to  Paul, 
(Gal.  5  :  2,  3,)  bringing  those  converts  back  to  a  dependence  upon  lhe:r 
own  merits ;  equivalent  to  the  bondage  and  burden  of  the  law. 
*  §§  80-83. 


102  APOCALYPTIC  INTEODUCTION. 

spirits  of  God ;  as  also  with  the  Lamb,  whose  seven  horns 
and  seven  eyes  symbolized  the  same  seven  spirits  of  God. 
By  his  possession  of  the  seven  stars  he  is  also  identified 
with  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  having  control 
over  the  seven  angels  (stars)  of  the  churches. 

The  same  searching  action  is  here  (Rev.  3  :  2,  3)  indi- 
cated  as  in  the  preceding  epistle,  and,  seemingly,  even  with 
more  reason. 

The  reproach  of  this  angel  is  that  he  has  a  name  to  live, 
while  he  is  really  dead ;  although  it  appears  that  there  are 
some  things  in  him,  or  in  his  character,  caj)able  of  resusci- 
tation. ■ 

To  be  dead,  according  to  the  apostle  Paul,  is  to  be  un- 
der the  power  ol  the  law.*  A  dead  body  is  also  a  body 
deprived  of  the  spirit.  Such  is  the  letter  of  revelation 
without  the  spirit,  or  spirit  sense.  The  inspired  apostles 
are  spoken  of  (2  Cor.  3  :  6)  as  ministers  not  of  the  letter 
but  of  the  spirit ;  because  it  is  said  the  letter  kiUeth  (tend- 
ing to  condemnation)  but  the  spmt  giveth  life,  (leading  to 
justification.)  Considering  the  Sardisian  angel  in  the  light 
of  a  commentator,  his  construction,  or  that  symbolized  by 
him,  must  be  something  equivalent  to  this  letter  vieio^  in 
which  the  spirit  sense  is  wanting;  on  this  account  his 
works  are  said  to  be  not  complete — not  reaching  the  end 
designed.  "  The  things  which  are  ready  to  die,"  are  ap- 
parently principles,  which,  if  carried  out,  would  lead  to 
the  condemnatory  result  frequently  termed  death. 

Repentance,  according  to  the  Greek,f  signifjing  a  change 
of  mind  or  views,  such  a  change  is  here  required  of  the 
angel ;  and  such  a  change,  we  may  suppose  the  unveiling 

*  §  84.  t  §.  4A. 


EPISTLES  TO  THE   CHURCHES.  103 

or  coming^  about  to  be  exhibited,  is  calculated  to  produce 
— resuscitating  the  spirit  sense  of  the  written  word,  and 
showing  the  real  and  only  conqueror  in  his  true  light. 
i^QQ promise^  Part  I.,  chap.  5.) 

The  "  few  names  in  Sardis,"  must  be  certain  doctrinal 
views  or  principles  excepted  in  the  reproach.  They  are 
icorthy  to  walk  with  the  speaker,  as  agreeing  (Amos 
3  :  3)  with  the  revelation  elsewhere  made  of  him,  the 
gai-ments  of  righteousness  held  forth  by  them  being  un- 
spotted with  any  mixture  of  human  merits.  They  cor- 
respond with  the  armies  of  heaven  clothed  in  fine  linen, 
clean  and  white,  followers  of  the  Word  of  God,  (Rev. 
19  :  14,)  as  they  must  also  be  opposites  of  the  7000  names 
destroyed  by  the  earthquake,  (Rev.  11  :  13.) 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  ANGEL  OF  THE  CHUECH  IN  PHILADELPHIA. 

To  this  angel  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  speaks 
as  "  he  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key 
of  David,  he  that  openeth  and  no  one  shutteth,  and  shut- 
teth  and  no  one  openeth  ;"*  or,  as  the  Greek  might  more 
strictly  be  rendered,  he  that  locketh  and  iinlocJceth;  refer- 
ring to  the  use  of  a  key,  as  also,  perhaps,  to  a  prophecy  of 
Eliakim,  (Is.  22  :  22.) 

Christ  only  has  the  key  to  a  right  understanding  both 
of  the  history  and  of  the  psalms  of  David — ^he  is  indeed 
himself  the  Jcey^  as  he  is  of  the  whole  of  the  revealed 
word.  As  he  opened  the  Scriptures  to  the  understanding 
of  the  disciples  on  their  way  to  Emmaus,  so  he  virtually 
opens,  or  unlocks,  the  whole  volume  of  inspiration,  by 

*  §§  88-90. 


104  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

what  he  has  done,  and  taught,  and  suffered,  as  well  as  by 
his  resurrection  and  exaltation. 

This  angel  is  addressed  almost  wholly  in  the  language 
of  commendation,  although  it  is  intimated  that  his 
strength  is  small;  yet  as  it  is  said,  "To  him  that  hath 
shall  be  given,  and  that  more  abundantly,"  correspondmg 
with  the  use  of  a  key,  the  faithful  and  true  witness  de- 
clares that  there  is  now  placed  before  him  (this  angel) 
"  an  open  door,"  that  is  a  door  once  locked,  but  now  un- 
locked ;  this  unlocked  door  consisting,  as  we  may  sup- 
pose, in  the  symbohcal  development  of  truth  contained  in 
the  subsequent  portion  of  the  vision.  As  such  the  door 
corresponds  with  that  seen  opened  in  heaven  by  the  apos- 
tle, (Rev.  4:1.)* 

Faithful  and  steadfast  as  the  Philadelphian  angel  has 
been,  it  appears  that  he  also  is  exposed  to  some  danger 
from  the  influence  of  those  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan, 
"  who  say  they  are  Jews,  but  are  not."  The  character  of 
these  we  have  already  passed  upon,  but  what  is  singular 
here,  is  the  assurance  of  him  that  is  holy  and  true,  that  he 
will  cause  these  Satanic  members  to  worship^  ov  prostrate 
themselves,  at  the  feet  of  the  angel  of  this  church.  The 
term  is  the  same  as  that  elsewhere  used  in  reference  to 
the  worship  of  God.f  Of  course  we  can  understand  it 
here  in  no  other  sense  than  as  figuratively  alluding  to  a 
manifestation  to  be  made  of  the  subordination  of  the  prin- 
ciples personified  as  affecting  to  be  Jews,  to  the  principle, 
or  Gospel  element  of  interpretation,  represented  by  the 
angel.  It  is  evident  that  it  can  not  designate  a  class  of 
himaan  beings,  who  are  to  be  made  by  Christ  himself  to 

*  §  91.  t  §  92. 


EPISTLES  TO   THE   CHUECHES.  105 

worship  a  fellow  creature,  or  even  an  angel  in  the  ordina- 
ry sense  of  that  term. 

The  subordination  alluded  to  may  correspond  with  that 
of  the  law  to  the  Gospel.  The  name  of  the  church  (Phila- 
delphia) signifying  brotherly  love,  and  brotherly  love  be- 
ing a  token  of  passing  fi-om  death  unto  hfe,  (1  John  3  :  14,) 
we  may  suppose  these  pretended  Jews  to  be  accusing 
spirits  or  principles,  applying  the  law  to  the  condemnation 
of  the  brethren.  (Rev.  12  :  10.)  These,  therefore,  are  to 
be  manifested  as  overcome  by  the  principle  of  brotherly 
love.  As  in  the  war  in  heaven,  Satan,  who  accused 
the  brethren  day  and  night,  is  overcome  by  these  breth- 
ren, through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  which  may  be  a  ful- 
fillment of  the  promise  here  given. 

The  hour  of  temptation,  or  time  of  trial,*  spoken  of,  is 
apparently  the  trial  represented  in  the  coming  exhibition 
of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  ;  a  wrath  directed  against  the 
elements  of  the  earthly  system,  figuratively  termed  here, 
"them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth."  (Rev.  3  :  10,  11.) 
The  promise  of  preservation  in  this  trial,  is  equivalent  to 
the  security  afforded  the  144,000  by  the  seal  of  God  in 
their  foreheads. 

The  crown  here  is  of  the  same  kind  as  that  spoken  of  in 
the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Smyrna.  That 
is,  it  is  the  crown  bestowed  upon  the  victor  in  the  games  ; 
a  token  of  triumphant  success,  but  not  of  sovereignty. 
Such  a  crown  can  only  be  taken  away  by  a  competitor  in 
the  race  or  contest.  "  Let  no  one  take  thy  crown,"  is  equi- 
valent to  saying,  "  Let  none  of  these  competitors  triumph 
over  thee." 

*  §  94,  95. 
5* 


106  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

For  the  purport  of  the  promise  to  the  conqueror  here, 
(Rev.  3  :  12,)  which  is  one  of  the  most  peculiar,  we  refer  to 
our  treatment  of  those  promises  collectively,  (Parti.,  chap. 
5.)  Its  flilfiUment,  by  showing  who  the  real  and  only  con- 
queror is,  must  be  calculated  to  sustain  the  angel  in  his 
conflict  with  the  members  of  the  Satanic  synagogue,  the 
more  so,  as  the  assurance  of  coming  quickly  is  an  intima- 
tion of  the  development  immediately  about  being  made. 
It  is  here  given  as  an  encouragement  to  perseverance. 
Perhaps  this  promise,  peculiar  as  it  is,  may  be  considered 
the  ope7i  doo7\  which  no  one  can  shut.  No  one  can  rightly 
apply  it  to  any  other  than  the  true  conqueror,  and  thus  it 
opens  the  way  to  an  understanding  of  the  whole  purport 
of  the  vision.* 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  ANGEL  OF  THE  CHUECH  OF  THE  LAODICEANS. 

The  angel  of  this  church  seems  to  be  nearly  an  oppo- 
site of  that  of  Philadelphia.  He  is  addressed  with  pecu- 
har  solemnity  ;t  the  speaker  appeahng,  as  it  were,  to  his 
own  divine  sovereignty,  as  the  great  First  Cause  of  crea- 
tion, as  well  as  "  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness," 
especially  in  relation  to  the  divine  plan  of  redemption. 
(Rev.  3  ;  14.) 

The  strong  terms  in  which  the  system  (construction)  of 
this  angel  is  repudiated,  leads  to  the  supposition  that  it 
must  be  very  nearly  allied  to  the  doctiine  of  the  Nicolai- 
tanes.  Of  the  one  it  is  said,  "  which  thing  I  hatep'^  of  the 
other,  "  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of 
my  mouth."    The  name  of  the  first  signifying  the  victory 

*  §§  96-100.  +  §  lOL 


EPISTLES   TO    THE    CHURCHES.  lOV 

of  the  people,  seems  to  refer  to  a  pretension  of  ascribing 
the  victory  in  the  work  of  salvation  to  the  disciple  him- 
self; the  name  of  the  other  signifying  the  just  or  righteous 
people,  appears  to  indicate  a  self-justifying  pretension,  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  Pharisees,  who  esteemed  themselves  just 
or  righteous,  and  despised  others. 

The  system  of  construction,  or  the  light  thrown  upon 
divine  revelation,  by  this  angel  is  professedly/  Christian. 
It  is  a  star  in  the  right  hand  of  Him  who  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  yet  it  is  evident  that  the 
spirit  or  tendency  of  this  construction,  is  not  such  as  to 
inculcate  that  fervent  gratitude  for  the  benefit  of  salva- 
tion, which  should  result  from  viewing  the  benefit  entirely 
as  a  free  gift  on  the  part  of  the  Saviour.  As  the  Ephesian 
anorel  was  said  to  have  lost  his  first  love,  so  the  Laodicean 
angel's  love,  from  a  like  cause,  had  become  lukewarm — not 
entirely  lost,  but  perhaps  little  better  than  mere  profes- 
sion— a  lukewarmness,  in  divine  estimation,  of  an  exceed- 
ingly nauseous  character. 

The  doctrine  inculcated  by  this  angel  does  not  recognize 
the  unworthiness,  sinfiilness,  destitution  of  merit  or  of  right- 
eousness, and  the  blmdness  of  mind,  the  sense  of  which 
is  indispensably  requisite  to  a  just  appreciation  of  the  need 
and  of  the  real  value  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by 
grace,  upon  which  alone  the  disciple  can  rest  his  hopes 
with  security.*  Hence  the  luTcewarmness :  for,  as  it  is 
said,  "  We  love  God  because  he  first  loved  us,"  just  in  pro- 
portion as  we  appreciate  the  love  of  God  to  us,  our  own 
love  of  him  will  be  fervent  or  lukewarm,  and  we  can  not 
appreciate  this  love  without  feeling  our  need  of  it ;  as  it 

*  §  103,  104. 


108  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

is  also  said,  herein  is  the  love  of  God  manifested,  that  while 
we  were  yet  siiuiers^  Christ  died  for  us.* 

The  language  of  the  Laodicean  angel,  "  I  am  rich,  and 
increased  in  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing,"  is  equiva- 
lent to  saying,  "  I  have  no  need  of  the  love  of  God ;  I 
have  no  need  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ."  Per- 
haps it  may  be  admitted,  that  this  increase  of  goods  has 
been  bestowed  in  some  sense  by  God ;  yet  as  men,  in  a 
literal  sense,  too  generally  give  the  credit  of  their  wealth 
to  their  own  industry  and  sagacity,  so  the  gratitude  of 
tliis  angel  for  what  he  possesses  of  supposed  merit,  although 
admitted  to  have  been  imparted  from  the  Giver  of  all 
good,  is  necessarily  but  lukewarm.  To  appreciate  the 
love  of  God  in  Christ,  and  to  feel  the  fervent  gratitude 
called  for  by  it,  the  7ieed  of  that  love  must  be  felt  con- 
tinually. 

This  deficiency  we  suppose  to  be  that  of  the  doctrine 
here  reproved.  "  The  ransom  of  a  man's  life  is  his  riches," 
(Prov.  13  :  8,)  and  the  only  true  ransom  of  a  man's  eter- 
nal life  is  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  of  which  the 
truth  is  like  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  the  thing  itself  consti- 
tuting the  true  riches  which  only  the  angel  is  here  counselled 
to  procure  ;  as  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ  is  the 
"  white  raunent"  in  which  alone  the  disciple  can  appear  be- 
fore his  God,  and  without  which  he  is  naked^  or  destitute  of 
clothing.  The  Laodicean  angel  is  not  an  infidel,  or  a  pa- 
gan, or  a  Jew,  professedly ;  he  must  be  contemplated  as  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  His  error  arises  from 
his  blindness  and  his  insensibility  of  that  blindness. 
Hence,  he  is  offered  the  "  eye  salve"  so  necessary  to  di&. 

*  §§  105-107. 


EPISTLES  TO   THE   CHURCHES.  109 

cem  his  own  destitution :  considering  him  a  commentator, 
we  may  suppose  him  to  put  such  a  construction  upon  the 
written  word  as  to  lead  to  the  supposition  that  the  disciple, 
after  conversion,  undergoes  a  certain  intrinsic  change, 
whereby  he  becomes  rich  in  merits  of  his  own,  and  thence- 
forth is  in  need  of  nothing. 

Whatever  these  errors  be,  the  subject  influenced  by 
them  is  stiU  represented  as  an  object  of  love.  Love  to- 
wards the  Philadelphian  angel  is  to  be  manifested  in  the 
protection  afforded  him,  and  love  towards  the  Laodicean 
errorist,  is  exhibited  m  the  rebuke  and  chastisement  in- 
tended for  his  correction. 

It  is  not  said  here,  as  in  the  preceding  cases,  "  Repent, 
or  else  I  will  come  quickly,"  or  "I  wiU  come  as  a  thief," 
but,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock,"  equivalent 
to  saying,  "  Behold,  I  am  come — ^I  am  here,  even  at  the 
door"  in  allusion  to  the  unveiling  or  revelation  just  about 
being  made.* 

"  If  any  one  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  and  sup  with  him  and  he  with  me."  This  hear- 
ing of  the  voice  and  opening  of  the  door  must  be  equiva- 
lent to  the  reading  and  hearing  of  the  words  of  this  pro- 
phecy, or  revelation,  and  to  the  keeping  the  things  written 
therein,  on  which  the  blessing  is  pronounced  in  the  com- 
mencement of  the  book.     (Rev.  1:3.) 

The  figure  of  a  supper,  while  it  refers  to  the  same 
revelation,  may  be  also  an  aUusion  to  the  supper  of  Jesus 
with  the  two  disciples,  at  Emmaus,  in  which  he  was  made 
known  to  them  in  the  breaking  of  bread :  illustrated,  also, 

*  §§  108-110. 


110  APOCALYPTIC   INTKODUCTION. 

by  that  supper  in  which  his  death  is  made  known  or  set 
forth. 

The  doctrine  or  construction  of  the  Laodicean  angel  is 
an  extreme  of  error  calUng  for  immediate  remedy.  It  is 
not  represented,  as  in  the  other  cases,  to  be  sound  in  some 
measure  or  in  certain  respects.  It  is  altogether  bad.  It 
is  not  said  to  be  in  danger  of  the  insidious  influences  of 
Balaam,  or  of  Jezebel,  or  of  the  Nicolaitanes ;  but  it 
seems  to  be  wholly  given  up  to  a  certain  perversion — what 
that  is,  we  may  best  judge  from  its  efiects,  that  is,  the 
lukewarmness  it  engenders,  and  from  the  o-p^fosite  ferve7icy 
required  in  the  change  of  views  called  for.  Without  this 
change  its  blindness  is  equivalent  to  the  state  of  dark- 
ness, described  as  the  precursor  of  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Man,  (Mark  13  :  24,)  and  to  the  darkness  of  the  king- 
dom of  the  beast,  (Rev.  16  :  10 ;)  while  its  efiects  corre- 
spond with  the  working  of  the  mystery  of  error,  the  de- 
tection of  which  necessarily  precedes  the  coming  or  reve- 
lation of  the  day  of  Christ.     (2  Thess.  2  :  3-7.) 

The  application  of  the  promise*  to  the  conqueror  in 
this  epistle,  shows  the  tendency  of  the  error  reproved, 
and  the  folly  of  the  pretensions  to  independence  involved 
in  it.  The  theory  of  this  angel,  that  he  is  rich  and  in- 
creased in  goods,  and  in  need  of  nothing ;  or  in  other 
words,  that  he  is  competent  to  redeem  himself  by  some 
merit  of  his  own;  that  he  is  rich  in  his  own  goodness  or 
righteousness  ;  that  he  needs  no  divine  propitiation,  atone- 
ment, or  vicarious  ofiering,  is  equivalent  to  an  assumption 
of  divine  sovereignty :  making  himself  equal  with  God  ; 
a  pretension,  however,  which  we  may  suppose  he  would 

*  §§  111,  112. 


EPISTLES  TO   THE   CHURCHES.  Nil] 

himself  disavow ;  yet  his  theory  would  lead  him  to  sup- 
pose that  he  himself  may  be  the  conqueror,  to  whom  the 
several  promises  are  given. 

To  correct  this  supposition,  the  greatest  promise  of  all 
is  here  introduced,  that  of  sitting  down  on  the  throne 
of  God  himself.  The  correction,  however,  depends  for 
its  effect  upon  attention  to  the  subsequent  development, 
(the  unveiling  of  Christ,)  showing  who  the  real  conqueror 
is,  and  thus  showing  that  the  pretension  of  any  other  to 
the  position  promised,  is  nothing  less  than  constructive 
blasphemy.     (See  Part  I.,  chap.  5.) 

N.  B. — From  necessity,  in  some  degree,  we  have  adopted  here,  as  else- 
where, the  style  of  personification  employed  in  the  vision  ;  but  it  is  to  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  false  construction  is  the  thing  repudiated.  The 
error,  and  not  the  errorist,  is  the  object  of  abhorrence,  the  latter  being  saved, 
yet  so  as  by  fire.  (1  Cor.  3  :  15.)  The  Laodicean  angel  is  a  star  in  the 
right  hand  of  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  and  notwithstanding  his 
deficiency,  is  upheld  by  the  right  hand  of  divine  righteousness. 


112  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  apostle's  CALL  UP  INTO  HEAVEN — ^THE  THRONE,  AND 
HIM  WHO  SAT  ON  IT — CHOETJS — THE  LAMB  AS  IT  HAD 
BEEN  SLAIN — GRAND   CHORUS. 

The  scene  first  presented  to  the  apostle,  (Rev.  4  :  1-11,) 
after  receiving  his  commission  to  the  churches,  may  be 
said  to  be  something,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  eternal  in 
its  character,  as  already  noticed  in  remarking  upon  the 
choral  action  described  in  it.     (Part  I.,  chap.  3.) 

A  door  is  seen  by  the  apostle,  opened  in  heaven,  and 
the  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  which  he  had  before  heard,  now 
calls  him  to  come  up  thither,  that  he  may  see  things  about 
to  he  represented. 

As  the  physical  heavens  display  the  glory  of  God  in 
natural  objects  so  the  analogical  heaven,  here  alluded 
to,  displays  the  glory  of  God  in  matters  pertaining  to  the 
divine  plan  of  redemption,  and  to  the  sovereignty  of  the 
Supreme  Being.  Such  is  the  heaven  to  which  the  apostle 
is  now  called ;  the  door^  referred  to  being  the  avenue  of 
symbolical  revelation  by  which  he  is  to  see  the  things  to 
be  unfolded. 

The  first  object  that  meets  his  attention  is  the  throne, 
(the  emblem  of  divine  sovereignty,)  and  Him  that  sat 
upon  it.     It  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that  it  is  in 

*  §§  114-117. 


THE   HEAVENLY    SCENE.  113 

sjnrit  he  sees  these  thmgs,  as  in  a  vision,  for  no  one  can 
Uterally  see  the  face  of  God  the  Father,  otherwise  than 
as  it  is  seen  in  that  of  the  Son.  But  John  is  m  heaven  in 
spirit,  as  he  was  also  in  spirit  in  the  day  of  the  Lord.^ 

The  appearance  of  the  occupant  ofHhe  throne  was  that 
of  splendid  perfect  purity,  comparable  to  the  transparent 
brilliancy  of  a  most  precious  stone ;  the  combinations  of 
the  sardinef  with  the  jasper  stone,  reminding  us  of  the 
identity  of  the  Father  and  Son,  corresponding  with  the  ap- 
pellation afterwards  given  to  the  throne,  as  that  of  God  and 
the  Lamb,  of  which,  however,  the  manifestations  are  not 
yet  made. 

The  sea-green  color  of  the  rainbow  J;  or  iris,  above  the 
throne,  seems  to  symbolize  the  element  of  judicial  wrath,  as 
it  corresponds  with  the  sea  itself,  which  we  take  to  be  a 
figure  of  that  wrath.  Whence  we  consider  the  present 
scene  to  be  a  representation  of  divine  sovereignty  irre- 
spective of  the  exercise  of  sovereign  grace,  afterwards 
revealed  as  connected  with  it.  At  least,  it  so  appears  to 
the  beholder,  whose  eyes  are  not  enhghtened  to  compre- 
hend the  whole  of  the  divine  plan  of  government.  The 
element  of  mercy  here  is  latent,  but  not  yet  developed. 

Around  the  throne  were  twenty-four  other  thrones,  or 
seats,  (tribunals  of  judgment,  perhaps,)  occupied  by  twenty- 
four  elders ;  these  are  supposed  to  represent  the  principles 
of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  revealed  in  the  old  and 
new  dispensations,  but  existing  in  the  unchangeable  mind 
of  God  from  all  eternity.     They  are  principles  of  truth, 

*  §§  24, 118. 

t  The  appellation  sardi7ie  is  derived  from  a  Greek  word  signifying  Jlesh, 
as  tinged  with  that  color.    The  jasper,  on  the  contrary,  is  pure  rock  crystal. 

X  §§  118-120. 


114  APOCALYPTIC  INTRODUCTION. 

unchangeable  in  their  nature,  crowned^  as  triumphing  over 
all  other  principles,  and  with  crowns  of  gold  indicative  of 
their  truth.  "  Out  of  the  throne  proceeded  hghtnings,  and 
thunderings,  and  voices,"  corresponding  with  those  of 
Mount  Sinai  at  the  giving  of  the  law ;  and  thus  confirm- 
ing our  supposition  that  the  present  scene  represents  the 
character  of  divine  sovereignty,  as  it  appeared,  or  might 
appear,  before  the  exercise  of  the  attribute  of  mercy  was 
revealed,  as  it  is  about  to  be  in  the  remainder  of  the 
vision.* 

The  seven  lamps  of  fire,  it  is  said,  are  the  seven  spirits 
of  God.  They  have  been  spoken  of  before  as  the  source 
(together  with  God  and  Jesus  Christ)  of  grace  and  peace, 
(Rev.  1:4;)  they  must  be  also  the  seven  spirits  symbolized 
by  the  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes  of  the  Lamb.  (Rev. 
5  :  6.)  As  a  whole,  which  the  nmnber  seven  indicates, 
they  represent  the  Holy  Spirit.  As  lamps^  in  immediate 
connection  with  the  emblem  of  divine  sovereignty,  they 
symbolize  the  illuminating  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Before  the  throne  was  a  sea  of  glass,  Hke  unto  crystal.f 
A  sea  is  an  opposite  of  a  river ;  and  this  sea,  we  may  sup- 
pose to  be  an  opposite  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life. 
As  such,  this  sea  may  represent  the  action  of  avenging 
justice;  the  sea,  and  the  waves  roaring,  (Luke  21  :  25,) 
being  emblematic  of  the  threatenings  of  that  justice.  But 
this  sea,  smooth  as  glass  and  clear  as  crystal,  symbolizes 
both  the  clearness  of  divine  judgment,  and  the  complete 
control  of  divine  sovereignty  over  its  action :  as  before 
the  throne,  it  is  subject  to  the  power  of  the  throne. 

In  the  midst  of  the  throne  were  four  living  creatures^\ 

*  §§  121-123.  +  §  124.  t  §  125. 


THE    HEAVENLY    SCENE.  115 

(as  the  Greek  should  have  been  rendered,)  full  of  eyes 
before  and  behind.  Beuig  m  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
round  about  the  throne,  these  creatures  must  represent 
attributes  of  divine  sovereignty,  their  eyes  before  and  be- 
hind indicating  the  omniscience  connected  with  that  sove- 
reignty ;  a  perfect  knowledge  both  of  the  past  and  present. 

The  first  of  these  living  creatures  was  like  a  lion :  a 
representation  of  the  power  and  inflexible  justice  of  the 
sovereign.  The  second  animal  was  Hke  a  calf:  represent- 
ing the  element  of  divine  propitiation,  or  the  attribute 
of  mercy.*  The  third  animal  had  the  face  of  a  man :  a 
symbol  of  the  attribute  of  wisdom  or  mind,  in  which  the 
human  being  differs  from  other  animals.  The  fourth  was 
like  a  flying  eagle :  designating  the  ofiice  of  the  Comforter, 
especially  as  connected  with  the  exercise  of  divine  sove- 
reignty.! 

Each  of  these  four  animals  is  described  as  having  six 
wings,  corresponding  in  number  with  those  of  the  sera- 
phim seen  in  the  vision  of  Isaiah,  and  as  in  number,  we 
may  suppose  they  correspond  also  in  use.  (Isa.  6  :  1-3.) 
"  With  twain  he  covered  his  face,  with  twain  he  covered  his 
feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly."  The  figure  represents,  ap- 
parently, the  continual  progress  in  development  of  these  at- 
tributes of  divine  sovereignty.  The  purpose,  or  face,  con- 
cealed, the  execution  secret,  but  ever  progressing.  The 
office  of  the  seraphim  seen  by  the  prophet,  was  to  pro- 
claim in  songs  and  responses,  the  holiness  of  the  Lord  God 
Almighty ;  and  such  seems  also  to  be  the  function  of  the 

*  The  calf,  or  young  bullock,  under  the  Levitical  dispensation,  being  an 
appointed  sin-offering, 
t  §§  126-129. 


116  APOCAJLTPTIC  INTEODUCTION, 

living  creatures  and  twenty-four  elders  before  the  throne. 
As  the  wings  of  these  animals  indicate  the  progressive 
development  of  the  attributes  represented,  the  "eyes 
within  and  without"  appear  to  have  reference  to  the  iuner 
and  outer  sense  of  the  written  word. 

They,  the  four  living  creatures,  "  rest  not  day  and  night" 
in  proclaiming  the  holiness  of  the  Lord,  and  when  they  do 
so,  the  twenty-four  elders  respond.  Consequently  the  action 
of  both  may  be  considered  as  something  virtually  continual, 
and  this  throughout  eternity ;  the  divine  attribute  of  holi- 
ness beiag  ever  the  same,  and  the  praise,  honor  and  glory 
due  to  the  Supreme  Governor  of  the  universe  being  also 
ever  the  same.  We  may  thus  consider  the  action  of  this 
chorus,  as  according  with  the  state  of  things  in  heaven 
prior  to  the  going  into  operation  of  the  divine  plan  of 
redemption,  or  of  the  revelation  of  it ;  for  which  reason, 
as  already  noticed,  we  have  not  classed  this  song  of  the 
living  creatures  and  elders  with  the  choral  divisions  be- 
longing to  what  we  consider  the  dramatic  portion  of  the 
vision. 

Throughout  this  ascription  of  glory,  honor,  and  thanks, 
on  the  part  of  the  living  creatures,  "  to  Him  that  sat  on 
the  throne,  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,"  and  throughout 
this  response  and  worship  of  the  twenty-four  elders,  there 
is  no  allusion  to  the  Lamb,  or  mention  of  the  work  of 
redemption.  The  ascription  to  the  divine  Sovereign,  of 
worthiness  to  receive  gloVy,  honor,  and  power,  is  grounded 
altogether  on  the  fact,  that  he  created  all  things,  and  that 
all  things  are  and  were  created  for  his  pleasure.* 

The  mystery  of  redemption,  therefore,  is  to  be  consider- 

*  §§  180-132. 


THE  ETERNAL   CHORUS.  117 

ed  as  not  yet  revealed,  even  to  these  elements,  here  offer- 
ing their  praise  and  thanksgiving.  The  hoolc  contauung 
the  mystery  is  yet  sealed,  and  in  possession  of  Him  that 
sat  on  the  throne.  The  attributes  of  divine  sovereignty, 
and  the  twenty-four  prraciples  of  divine  government  en- 
tering into  the  plan  of  redemption,  exist  in  the  nature  of 
things,  but  they  are  not  yet  revealed  or  manifested.  As 
truths  in  themselves,  these  twenty-four  principles  possess 
crowns  of  gold ;  and  as  truths  subservient  to  the  element 
of  divine  sovereignty,  they  cast  these  crowns  before  the 
throne. 

The  design  of  the  ascription  at  this  crisis,  appears 
to  be  to  proclaim  the  perfect  sovereignty  of  the  Creator, 
and  his  right  to  do  as  he  pleases  with  all  that  he  has  creat- 
ed ;  having  created  every  thing  for  his  own  pleasure.  In 
this  view  he  would  have  been  entitled  to  the  same  ascrij)- 
tion  of  holiness,  glory  and  honor,  if  the  plan  of  redemption 
had  not  been  formed  ;  consequently  that  plan  must  ha^e 
been  purely  a  matter  of  sovereign  grace.  He  had  a 
moral  right  as  sovereign  to  form  it  or  withhold  it  as 
he  pleased,  and  if  he  did  form  it,  it  was  for  his  own 
pleasure  that  he  did  so.  The  plan  itself  is,  therefore,  like 
him  who  executed  it,  entirely  a /"ree^e/^^,  and  as  such,  calls 
for  the  fervent,  unmixed  gratitude  (love)  of  those  who 
have  the  benefit  of  it. 

This  exhibition  of  divine  sovereignty  reminds  us  that 
when  the  apostle  Paul  speaks  of  a  certairi  crisis  when  the 
Son  is  to  give  up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  he  must  be 
understood  as  referring  only  to  the  manifestation  of  that 
truth,  and  not  to  the  existence  of  the  truth  or  fact  itself. 
In  point  of  fact,  the  kingdom,  or  reign,  is,  in  the  nature  of 


118  APOCALYPTIC  INTEODUCTION. 

things,  that  of  Him  who  created  all  things,  and  for  whose 
pleasure  aU  things  were  created. 

So  with  respect  to  the  purport  of  the  exhibition  we  are 
about  to  examine  :  the  Word  of  God  is  represented  as 
overcoming  aU  enemies  ;  that  Word  is  afterwards  merged 
in  the  Lamb,  the  Lamb  on  the  throne  of  God  is  identi- 
fied with  God,  till  in  the  end  the  Lord  God  alone  is  mani- 
fested as  the  source  of  light,  and  the  only  being  to  be 
worshipped ;  corresponding  with  the  crisis  above  alluded 
to.  Thus,  in  fact,  the  same  Lord  God,  the  Creator  of  all 
things,  was,  before  as  after  this  development,  the  Ruler  and 
Governor  of  all  things,  the  kingdom  having  been  his  from 
all  eternity. 

We  will  now  enter  upon  an  examination  of  the  exhibi- 
tion about  to  be  presented :  we  may  suppose  by  way  of  illus- 
tration, ages  to  have  intervened,  during  which  the  sealed 
BOOK  (Rev.  5  :  1)  had  been  kept  back  ;  the  time  has  now 
come  for  its  unsealing,  and  for  a  development  of  its 
contents. 

The  subject  of  Rev.  5  is  preparatory  only  to  the  dra- 
matic action  of  the  exhibition  about  to  be  presented.  It 
furnishes  us  with  a  description  of  the  scene  in  heaven  at 
the  moment  when  the  development  determined  upon  is 
about  being  made :  we  are  to  imagine  innumerable  mil- 
lions of  spectators,  waiting  with  impatience  the  disclosure 
of  that  mystery,  which  was  hid  from  ages,  as  it  is  said, 
and  which  angels — messengers,  the  prophets  themselves — 
desired  to  look  into. 

The  throne  before  described  is  now  the  prominent  ob- 
ject of  contemplation ;  a  book  is  seen  in  the  hand  of  the 
Sovereign  ;  that  book  contains  the  mystery  to  be  unfolded. 


THE   SEALED   BOOK   TAKEN.  119 

The  book  consists  of  a  scroll,  or  rather  it  is  a  roll  of  scrolls, 
written  on  both  sides,  within  and  on  the  back  side,  corre- 
sponding with  the  inner  and  outer  sense  (the  letter  and  the 
spirit)  of  the  written  word.  It  is  sealed  mth  seven  seals. 
According  to  the  ancient  form  of  books,  we  may  suppose 
it  to  consist  of  seven  scrolls,  one  over  the  other,  each  hav- 
ing its  separate  seal.  The  outer  scrolls  must  necessarily 
be  opened  first,  but  the  inner  (the  seventh)  is  that 
which  contains  the  most  important  portion  of  the  mys- 
tery. 

As  on  the  occasion  of  a  grand  tournament,  a  herald  (a 
strong  angel)  challenges  the  assembled  multitude  to  fur- 
nish some  one  worthy,  or  capable,  of  opening  the  book  and 
of  loosing  its  seals.  No  one  of  the  whole  assembly  of 
spectators  is  found  competent  to  open  it,  or  to  read  it,  or 
even  to  look  into  it. 

A  pause  ensues,  corresponding  with  the  lapse  of  ages  be- 
tween the  promise  of  him  who  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's 
head,  and  the  fulfillment  of  that  promise  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ.* 

The  apostle  laments  much  that  no  one  is  found  equal  to 
the  task  in  question.  The  lamentation  may  be  compared 
to  the  regrets  of  those  who  waited  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah, yet  died  without  the  sight.  John  is,  however,  com- 
forted by  one  of  the  elders,  (one  of  the  elements  of  the 
plan  of  redemption,)  with  the  assurance  that  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  root  of  David,  had  prevailed  (over- 
come) to  open  the  book ;  an  assurance  equivalent  to  the 
whole  bearing  of  the  Hebrew  prophecies.f 

Immediately  in  connection  with  this  assurance,  he  per- 

^  §§  1.33,  134.  t  H  135-13S. 


120  APOCALTPTIC  IHTRODUCTTION. 

ceives  "  a  Lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns 
and  seven  eyes,"  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  four  living  creatures,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
twenty-four  elders.  This  Lamb  came  and  took  the  book 
out  of  the  right  hand*  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne, 
and  as  it  appears  afterwards  opened  the  seals.  This 
Lamb,  therefore,  is  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  and  the 
root  of  David  referred  to  by  the  elder.  That  he  is  the 
Lamb  of  God,  pointed  out  by  the  Baptist,  (John  1  :  29,)  is 
equally  evident  from  his  appearance,  "as  it  had  been 
slain."  Seen  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  he  is  character- 
ized as  himself  an  element  of  divine  sovereignty ;  in  the 
midst  of  the  four  attributes  of  that  sovereignty,  he  is  the 
central  point  of  those  attributes;  as  he  is  also  of  the 
elements  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  represented  by 
the  twenty-four  elders.  As  having  the  seven  spirits  of 
God,  he  is  the  source  of  grace  and  peace  alluded  to,  Rev. 
1  :  4, — symbolized  also  by  the  seven  lamps  burning  be- 
fore the  throne;  the  whole  description  corresponding 
with  the  apostolic  declaration  concerning  the  Son  of  God, 
that  "  in  him  dwelleth  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodi- 
ly ;"  the  attributes  of  the  illuminating  lamps,  of  the  horns 
of  power,  and  the  searching  eyes,  being  collectively  m  his 
person.  The  inference  is  that,  as  the  Sovereign  on  the 
throne  formed,  and  possessed,  and  sealed  the  mystery, 
the  same  sovereign  power  only  could  make  it  known. 
As  the   Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain  represents  the  vica- 

*  The  right  hand  of  Jehovah  is  spoken  of  in  the  prophets  as  the  power 
by  which  he  saves.  (Is.  41  :  10.)  The  book  here  contains  a  development  of 
that  rigbteousness  or  power  witb  which  the  Lamb  is  identified  by  his  ex- 
altation to  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High,  (Rom.  8  :  34.) 


THE  GRAND  CHORUS  OR  PARADOS.         121 

rious  offering  of  Christ  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  the  fbr- 
ther  inference  is  that  this  element  of  propitiation  is  an  in- 
herent principle  of  divine  sovereignty  itself;  so  the  grace. 
that  bringeth  salvation  is  a  free  act  of  sovereign  power. 

Immediately  upon  the  taking  of  the  book  by  the  Lamb, 
the  four  elements  of  divine  sovereignty,  and  the  four  and 
twenty  elements  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  (before 
represented  as  ceasing  not  day  and  night  in  their  adora- 
tion of  the  Creator,)  now  prostrate  themselves  before  the 
Lamb.  As  the  lesson  inculcated  throughout  this  vision  is 
that  God  only  is  to  be  worshipped,  we  must  infer  from 
this  act  of  homage  on  the  part  of  these  elements,  that  in 
their  apprehension  the  Lamb,  and  Him  that  sat  upon  the 
throne,  are  identified ;  that  the  Lamb  is  not  only  an  element 
of  sovereignty,  but  he  is  also  the  same  in  being  with  the 
Sovereign,  although  on  this  occasion  differently  personified. 

The  chorus  here  offered  is  not  merely  a  song  of  voices ; 
it  has  an  accompaniment  of  instrumental  music — ^that 
of  the  harp,  which  throughout  the  vision  is  to  be  consid- 
ered a  symbol  of  praise.  They  offer,  also,  incense  in  ves- 
sels of  gold,  which  is  said  to  be  the  prayers  of  the  saints 
or  holy  ones.  The  material  of  gold  indicates  the  perfect 
truth  of  the  elements  offering  this  praise,  its  perfect  corre- 
spondence with  God's  plan  of  redemption  ;  the  principles 
of  which,  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures,  are  here  figura- 
tively termed  saints,  or  holy  ones.  They  correspond  with 
the  souls  afterwards  represented  as  under  the  altar,  the 
purport  of  their  prayers  being  probably  the  same ;  that 
is,  that  their  deliverance  may  be  speedily  accomplished, 

*  §§  139-143. 


122  APOCAI.TPTIC   INTRODUCTION. 

as  it  is  to  be  by  the  development  about  to  take  place. 
They  are  the  saints,  whose  blood  had  been  shed  by  the 
dwellers  upon  the  earth,  (Rev.  21  :  6,)  which  blood  was 
aftei-wards  foimd,  with  that  of  the  prophets,  in  Babylon. 
(Rev.  18  :  24.)  The  prayers  for  the  deliverence  in  question, 
thus  go  up  to  the  Lamb  as  to  the  expected  deliverer,  be- 
ing offered  by  the  elements  of  the  purpose  of  redemption 
itself.  The  material  of  gold  indicates  the  correctness  and 
value  of  this  offeiing  of  praise  and  prayer  to  the  Lamb, 
which  correctness  would  not  exist  if  the  Lamb  was  less 
than  a  manifestation  of  the  Divine  Being  himself. 

The  song  of  these  four  laving  creatures  and  twenty-four 
elders,  is  termed  a  new  song,  apparently  in  contradistinc- 
tion to  the  matter  of  the  preceding  ceaseless  act  of  adora- 
tion of  the  same  elements.  They  were  then  represented 
as  ascribing  glory,  and  honor,  and  thanks,  and  power  to 
the  Supreme  Being,  as  the  Sovereign  and  the  Creator  of 
all  things.  They  now  adore  the  Lamb  especially  as  their 
Redeemer — proclaiming  his  worthiness  to  open  the  sealed 
book,  from  the  fact  that  he  had  redeemed  them  out  of 
every  kindred,  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.  That  is, 
we  may  say  the  plan  of  redemption,  through  the  vicarious 
offering  of  Christ,  has  brought  out  these  principles  fi'om 
amidst  the  multitude  of  errors  on  the  subject ;  these 
distinguishing  features  of  the  gracious  purpose  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  exhibiting  the  attributes  of  his  character 
and  the  principles  of  his  government  in  their  true  light. 
These  attributes  and  principles  bemg  thus  made  ruling 
elements  in  matters  of  faith,  and  essential  principles  of 
true  worship ;  figuratively,  as  they  term  it,  kmgs  and 
priests  unlo  God.     The  redemption  alluded  to  in  this  'tie'tn 


THE  GEAND  CHOEUS  OE  PAEADOS.        123 

song,  uttered  by  these  elements,  it  must  be  noticed,  regards 
only  themselves,  the  ulterior  object  of  God's  purpose  of 
grace  not  being  thus  far  reached  in  the  order  of  the  exhi- 
bition. 

So,  we  find  in  the  subsequent  songs  of  this  grand  chorus 
of  many  voices  and  responses,  with  which  the  scene  may 
be  said  to  conclude,  the  purport  to  be  that  of  recognizing 
the  equality  of  the  Lamb  slain  with  Him  who  sitteth  upon 
the  throne — worthiness  to  possess  power,  riches,  wisdom, 
strength,  honor,  glory,  and  blessing,  are  ascribed  to  the 
Lamb  slain,  by  the  multitude  of  angels  round  the  throne,  in 
unison  with  the  four  living  creatures  and  twenty-four  elders, 
their  number  "  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  and  thou- 
sands of  thousands ;"  an  ascription  represented  as  virtually 
responded  to  by  every  created  thing  ui  heaven,  in  earth, 
under  the  earth,  and  in  the  sea,  and  again  reechoed  and 
confirmed  by  the  four  elements  of  divine  sovereignty, 
and  the  twenty-four  principles  of  the  divine  plan  of 
government  as  revealed  ui  both  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment dispensations;  these  last  apparently  by  their  ac- 
tion being  compared  with  that  just  before  noticed,  (Rev. 
5  :  8,)  identifying  the  Lamb  slain  with  Him  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  as  one  Being  in  the  person  of  Him  that 
"  liveth  for  ever  and  ever."  This  whole  ascription  to  the 
Lamb  slain  accords  with  the  definition  of  his  being,  by 
the  apostle  Paul,  as  "  the  image  of  the  invisible  God,  by 
whom  all  things  were  created  that  are  in  heaven  and  in 
earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  thrones,  or  domm- 
ions,  or  principahties,  or  powers ;  all  things  bemg  created  by 
him,  and  for  him,  and  he  is  before  all  things,  and  by  him 
aU  things  consist." 


124  APOCALYPTIC   INTRODUCTION. 

Thus  far,*  however,  as  respects  the  exhibition  before  us, 
the  divine  character  only  of  the  Lamb  slain  is  unveUed  or 
revealed.  The  sealed  book  is  not  yet  opened,  and  its 
mystery,  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  is  not  yet  de- 
veloped. 

The  chorus  just  noticed,  we  have  already  classed  with 
the  2Mrados  of  the  Greek  drama,  (Part  I.,  chap.  3.)  The 
scene  beiag  introductory  to  the  action  of  the  coming  re- 
presentation, corresponds  also,  both  ia  place  and  matter, 
with  the  prologue  of  the  Greeks,  the  dramatic  action  from 
which  we  are  to  trace  the  unity  of  the  whole  exhibition  com- 
mencing, as  must  be  borne  in  mind,  with  the  opening  of 
the  sealed  book,  or  with  the  unrolling  of  the  several  scrolls 
of  the  looh  of  scrolls;  wiitten  as  these  are  within  and  with- 
out, we  are  to  discover  their  inner  sense  as  we  notice  the 
outer  sense,  the  whole  symbolical  exhibition,  resulting 
from  the  unsealing,  being  equivalent  to  the  reading  matter 
of  a  book,  and  to  be  so  considered. 

*  §  144. 


PART     III 


t  ^zkU^  I00IU 


C^^    ^tKlt^    iaolu 


CHAPTER    I. 

SIX  SEALS  OPENED — THE  FOUK  CHAMPIONS — THE  CAPTIVES — 
THE  EARTHQUAKE — THE  PANIC — ^THE  SEALING-CHORUS — 
INTERPRETATION   OF   THE   ELDER. 

Act  I.     /Scene:  Heaven. 

Having,  m  our  first  part^  vindicated  the  propriety,  and 
set  forth  the  advantages  of  imputing  a  dramatic  arrange- 
ment to  the  book  of  Revelation,  by  a  comparison  of  some 
of  the  features  of  the  vision  with  those  of  the  ancient 
Greek  drama  ;  and  having  in  our  second  part  noticed  the 
scene  as  it  was  presented  at  the  opening  of  the  represen- 
tation ;  with  a  concise  commentary  on  the  epistles  to  the 
churches  of  Asia ;  considered  in  the  light  of  an  apostolic 
preface  and  introduction ;  we  now  propose  to  take  an 
analogical  view  of  what  may  properly  be  considered  the 
dramatic  portion  of  the  vision,  aided  by  the  choral 
divisions  already  traced  out,  and  the  hints  afforded  of  the 
unity  of  the  piece  in  the  progress  of  its  principal  cha- 
racter. 


128  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

The  matter  of  the  first  Act,  as  it  may  be  called,  is  con- 
tained in  Revelation  6  and  V,  between  the  chorus  of 
many  voices  just  described,  and  the  next  chorus  of  the 
same  character  at  the  close  of  Rev.  Y.  The  throne  and 
Him  that  sat  upon  it,  and  the  four  hving  creatures  in  the 
midst  and  about  the  throne,  and  the  twenty-four  elders, 
mth  the  seven  lamps  before  the  throne,  and  the  unmense 
multitude  of  spectators,  (Rev.  5  :  13,)  are  still  in  view ; 
together  with  the  "  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,"  now  in 
possession  of  the  book  taken  fi'om  the  right-hand*  of  him 
that  sat  upon  the  throne.f 

On  the  opening  of  the  first  seal,  with  a  noise  of  thunder, 
reminding  us  of  the  threatenings  of  Sinai,  (Ex.  19  :  16,) 
and  at  the  call  of  the  first  living  creature,  like  a  lion,  (the 
element  of  divine  power  and  justice,)  a  white  horse  is 
seen,  whose  rider  armed  with  a  bow,  without  quiver  or 
arrows,  and  wearing  the  crown  of  a  -vdctor,  goes  forth  a 
conqueror  and  to  conquer,  (c.  v.  overcoming  and  to  over- 
come.) 

A  war-horse  is  a  scriptural  symbol  of  power.  This  whitel 
horse  we  take  to  be  a  figure  of  the  power  of  divine 
righteousness,  as  exercised  by  imputation  in  the  salvation 
of  sinners.§  The  rider  is  he  who  has  the  control  of  this 
power.  The  bow  without  arrows,  like  that  seen  in  the 
clouds  after  the  deluge,  is  a  symbol  of  the  covenant  of 


*  For  an  allusion  to  this  right-hand  see  Isa.  41 :  10,  and  compare  with 
Mark  14  :  62. 

t  §  145. 

X  The  word  translated  white  signifies  properly  bright,  clear  shining,  and 
is  so  used  throughout  the  Apocalypse. 

S  §8   14'^..  M7. 


THE  FIRST   SIX   SEALS    OPENED.  129 

peace  and  reconciliation,  of  which  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse  is  the  messenger  or  minister.  (Malachi  3  :  1,  2.) 
The  crown  is  an  evidence  of  Jihe  victory  already  won  in  a 
different  field,*  while  it  may  indicate  also  the  certaiaty  of 
success  in  the  contest  in  which  the  wearer  is  about  to  en- 
gage.f 

As  this  champion  proves  to  be  afterwards  the  Word  of 
God,  identic  with  the  Lamb,  we  may  suppose  the  victory 
already  won,  to  be  that  of  the  Lamb  over  the  dragon  in 
heaven,  equivalent  to  the  victory  of  the  Son  of  God  by 
his  vicarious  sacrifice  over  the  requisitions  of  the  broken 
law.  The  conquest  to  be  achieved  here,  consists  in  the  over- 
coming of  systems  and  errors  of  legality  and  self-justifica- 
tion, hostile  to  a  just  view  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation 
by  sovereign  grace. 

At  the  call  of  the  second  living  creature  (the  element 
of  divine  mercy  or  propitiation)  a  rider  of  an  opposite  cha- 
racter comes  forth.  He  is  seated  on  a  red,  a  fiery  red, 
horse,!  a  color  similar  to  that  of  the  great  dragon.  (Rev. 
12  :  3.)  To  this  warrior  a  sword  is  given,  with  power  "  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  (to  cause)  that  they  (the 
dwellers  upon  the  earth)  should  slay  one  another."  The 
sword  is  that  of  the  magistrate ;  one,  who  "  beareth  not 
the  sword  in  vain."  The  horse  is  a  figure  of  the  power  of 
the  broken  law,  or  of  judicial  vengeance.  The  rider  is 
the  executor  of  that  power.  The  earth  spoken  of  here  is 
the  earthly  system,  or  platform  of  justification  by  works 
of  the  law,  or  by  the  merits  of  man.    The  dwellers  upon 

*  The  field  in  which  the  same  conqueror  appears  in  the  character  of  the 
Lamb, 

+  §  148.  X  §  149. 


130  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

the  earth  being  principles  depending,  or  resting,  upon  this 
earthly  platform,  the  power  of  the  rider  is  exercised  in 
setting  these  princij)les  at  variance  one  with  another ;  or 
exhibiting  their  action  in  destroying  each  other :  while  at 
the  same  time,  the  sword  of  the  law  is  imminent  over 
them  all :  thus  showing  their  inconsistency  with  peace  of 
conscience,  or  reconciliation  to  God.* 

Neither  this  rider  nor  his  horse  is  again  mentioned  in  the 
vision,  but  his  power  (the  power  of  the  broken  law,  and 
the  use  of  his  sword,  are  exhibited  in  the  effects  of  the 
various  tests,  trials,  and  tortures,  to  which  the  elements  of 
self-justification  (dwellers  upon  the  earth,)  are  exposed. 
ISTo  crown  is  given  him,  for  he  is  not  the  conqueror  ;  al- 
though, as  the  law  is  a  leader  to  bring  us  to  Christ,  the 
operations  of  this  rider  open  the  way  to  the  victorious 
career  of  the  Word  of  God. 

On  the  opening  of  the  third  seal,  the  call  of  the  third 
living  creature,  (the  element  of  wisdom  or  reason,)  f  a 
black  horsej  appears,  whose  rider  carries  a  pair  of  bal- 
ances in  his  hand :  while  a  voice  from  the  midst  of  the 
four  elements  of  divine  sovereignty  proclaims  a  tariff  of 
prices,  "  a  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three 
measures  of  barley  for  a  penny,"  with  a  caution  not  to 
hurt  or  to  prejudice  the  oil  and  the  wine. 

By  comparing  the  value  of  the  Roman  penny§  with 
the  quantity  of  wheat  and  barley  here  mentioned,  the 
prices  appear  to  be  such  as  were  considered  the  fair  value 
of  the  articles  mentioned ;  and  wheat  and  barley  being 
materials  for  bread,  they  are  here  used  as  figures  of  the 

*  §§  150,  151.  +  See  Luke  14  :  28-82, 

X  %  152.  §  §  153. 


THE   FIRST   SIX    SEALS    OPENED.  131 

means  of  eternal  life.  The  rider  with  his  balances  is  thus 
a  representation  of  the  law  of  God ;  while  the  voice 
from  the  source  of  divine  sovereignty  (the  throne)  pro- 
claims the  standard  of  that  law ;  a  perfect  fulfillment  of 
its  requisitions  being  the  legal  means  of  eternal  fife.  The 
black  horse  represents^  the  power  of  enforcing  these  re- 
quisitions, resulting  in  the  condemnation  of  those  who  do 
not  meet  them :  equivalent  to  the  annunciation,  "  Do 
this,  and  thou  shalt  hve,"  Fail  to  do  it  and  thou  shalt 
die — a  figure  apparently  of  the  Law,  (Dan.  5  :  27,)  as 
weighing  the  merits  and  demerits  of  man  in  one  scale 
with  all  that  is  required  of  him  in  the  other.  As  there  is 
no  one  perfectly  just  or  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God, 
there  can  be  no  human  pretensions  to  merit,  tried  in  these 
balances  of  the  law,  that  will  not  be  found  wanting.  Hence 
the  color  of  this  horse  is  black — black  as  sack-cloth  of 
hair,  corresponding  with  the  melancholy  condition  and 
prospects  of  the  convicted  sinner,  in  view  of  the  issue  of 
the  trial  supposed.  No  recourse  being  here  supposed  al- 
lowable to  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  or  to  his 
righteousness  and  atonement  alluded  to  under  the  figure 
of  the  oil  and  the  wine?' 

This  horse  and  his  rider,  like  the  preceding,  are  not 
again  mentioned  in  the  vision :  but,  as  figures,  they  corre- 
spond very  nearly  with  that  of  the  witnesses  prophesying 
in  sackcloth.  These  last  being  supposed  to  interpret  the 
Gospel  under  the  disadvantage  of  a  legal  construction : 
wherever,  however,  the  standard  of  the  law  appears  to  be 
symbolically  appKed  to  the  elements  of  the  earthly  ^sys- 
tem, there  the  black  horse  and  his  rider  with  the  balances, 

*  §  154. 


132  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

may  be  considered  in  action,  and,  wherever  these  act, 
darkness  and  blackness  must  accompany  their  movements. 
The  effect  of  the  use  of  these  balances  in  favoring  the 
operations  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  is  equivalent 
to  the  repentance  and  comdction  of  sin  preparatory  to 
faith  in  the  atonement  of  Christ,  as  the  only  som'ce  of 
hope  and  consolation. 

On  the  opening  of  the  fourth  seal,  at  the  call  of  the 
fourth  hving  creature,  Uke  a  flying  eagle,  (the  comforter,) 
the  ajDOstle  sees  a  pale  gree7i*  horse.  The  rider's  name  is 
Death,  and  Hell  follows  with  him. 

The  color  of  this  horse  is  taken  fi'om  the  grass  of  the 
earth  in  its  withering  state  ;  this  earthly  covering  bemg  a 
figure  of  the  pretended  righteousness  furnished  by  the 
platform  of  justification  by  works,  or  by  the  merits  of 
man. 

Death,  as  appears  from  the  Pauline  use  of  the  term, 
symbolizes  the  position  of  man  under  the  power  of  the  law, 
(Rom.  7  :  9.)  Man  being  a  sinner,  this  position  is  necessarily 
followed  by  that  of  legal  condemnation,  of  which  Hell  is 
the  figure.  Thus  this  last  is  the  inseparable  concomitant 
of  the  first ;  Hell  is  to  Death  what  the  sword  of  the  magis- 
trate is  to  the  rider  of  the  red  horse — the  weaj^on  of  de- 
struction. As  this  position  of  legal  death  and  condemna- 
tion arises  from  the  fallacy  of  the  pretension  to  righteous- 
ness or  justification  by  works,  the  power  of  Death  and  Hell 
is  represented  by  the  green  horse;  as  on  the  contrary. 
Death  and  Hellf  have  no  power  where  the  dependence  is 
on  the  merits  of  Christ. 

The  green  horse  is  not  mentioned  again  in  the  vision, 

*  ^  lof).  t  §§  150-157. 


THE   FIRST   SIX   SEALS    OPENED.  133 

but  in  the  course  of  the  representation  every  green  thing 
upon  the  earth  is  destroyed.  Even  the  earth  itself  flees 
away.  Death  and  Hell  thus  lose  the  power  upon  which 
they  depended,  and  are  themselves  at  last  overcome,  and 
go  into  perdition. 

Meantime,  wherever  the  action  of  death  is  mentioned, 
the  aUusion  is  to  the  same  legal  condemnation.  As  in  the 
sentence  pronounced  upon  Jezebel :  "I  wiU  kiU her  children 
w^th  death;  so,  in  a  hke  sense,  it  is  said  power  was  given 
to  Death  and  Hell  over  the  fourth  of  the  earth,  to  slay 
with  the  sword,  with  hunger,  with  death  and  with  the 
beasts  of  the  earth — or,  according  to  the  Greek,  power 
was  given  to  him  (Death)  corresponding  with  our  idea 
that  Death  is  the  warrior,  and  Hell  the  weapon  or  instru- 
ment of  executiug  the  deadly  purpose  of  the  rider  of  the 
pale  green  horse. 

The  Wiclif  and  Rheims'  versions  render  this  passage  by 
the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  which  would  be  equivalent  to 
the  whole  of  the  earth,  and  which  would  be  the  easiest 
supposition  to  interpret,  as  it  accords  with  the  physical 
phenomenon ;  but  following  our  common  version,  we  sup- 
pose, for  reasons  given  in  a  former  work,*  this  fourth  of 
the  earth  to  be  a  figurative  expression  for  a  system  of 
mixed  pruiciples,  partly  of  dependence  upon  human  merits 
or  works,  and  partly  of  dependence  upon  the  merits  of 
Christ:  this  mixed  system  being  apparently  the  object 
against  which  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  is  more  particularly 
directed ;  for,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  the  errors  to 
be  corrected  are  those  in  the  visible  Church  of  Christ, 
not  those  out  of  it.     These  errors  are  personified  as  pro- 

*  §§  158-159. 


134  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

fessed  disciples  of  Christ,  whose  system  of  faith  leads  them 
to  rest  their  hopes  of  salvation  in  part  upon  some  merits 
or  works  of  then*  own  ;  appealing  to  the  perpetuity  of  the 
law  as  the  foundation  of  their  theory  of  doctrine. 

Against  this  theory  the  power  of  Death  and  Hell  is  here 
particularly  du'ected.  It  is  given  to  them  to  destroy  the 
errors  alluded  to  by  the  four  instrumentahties  mentioned : 
the  sword  of  the  Spii'it  showmg  the  extent  and  inflexibili- 
ty of  the  demands  of  the  law ;  hunger  exhibiting  the 
entire  destitution  of  righteousness  or  merit  on  the  part  of 
man ;  death  showing  the  condemnatory  nature  of  the  shi- 
ner's position  under  the  law ;  and  the  beasts  of  the  field 
showing  the  destructive  character  of  principles  of  the  legal 
or  earthly  system,  in  their  action  upon  pretensions  to 
self-justification  ;  corresponding  with  the  power  given  to 
the  rider  of  the  red  horse  in  taking  peace  from  the  earth, 
that  "  they  should  kill  one  another." 

The  four  attributes  of  divine  sovereignty  have  thus 
called  forth  the  principal  combatants  to  be  engaged  in 
the  coming  representation.  Divine  justice  has  brought  to 
view  that  exhibition  of  the  saving  power  of  divine  right- 
eousness, and  of  the  new  covenant,  which  is  to  overcome 
the  errors  of  legality  and  self-dependence.  The  attribute 
of  Mercy  has  caused  an  exhibition  of  the  power  of  the 
broken  law,  with  its  avenging  sword,  showing  the  need  of 
a  propitiatory  provision.  Divme  wisdom  exhibits  the 
legal  standard  by  which  all  pretensions  to  merits  are  to  be 
weighed,  irrespective  of  the  vicarious  work  of  Christ ;  and 
the  Comforter^  as  in  convincing  "the  world  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment,"  shows,  in  the  power 
and  part  assigned  to  Death  and  Hell,  the  folly  of  depend- 
dence  upon  any  sys:tem  of  self-instification. 


THE   FIRST   SIX   SEALS    OPEKED.  135 

On  the  opening  of  tlie  fifth  seal  the  cause  of  the  coming 
contest  is  made  known;  the  souls  of  the  witnesses,* 
slain  for  the  Word  of  God  and  the  testimony  they  held, 
cry  from  under  the  altar  \  for  the  vindication  of  their 
cause,  and  the  avenging  of  their  blood  upon  their  oppres- 
sors— the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  (the  errors  of  self-justi- 
fication.) These,  for  a  long  time  reigning  triumphant, 
have  deprived  the  elements  of  evangelical  truth  (the  slain 
witnesses)  of  the  spirit-sense  of  their  testimony :  the  letter 
only  of  divine  revelation  having  been  regarded,  which  priva- 
tion of  the  spirit-sense,  or  Hfe,  that  is,  of  the  true  meaning 
of  these  elements,  is  here  and  elsewhere  spoken  of  as  a 
shedding  of  blood.  The  spirit  of  revelation  is  safe,  as  in 
custody,  under  the  altar,  which  itself  is  a  figure  of  the 
will  or  Word  of  God ;  but  the  cause  of  complaint  is,  that 
it  has  been  so  separated  fi-om  the  letter  as  to  be  disre- 
garded. 

These  souls  are  comforted  with  the  assurance  that  the 
time  of  their  vindication  is  at  hand ;  waiting  only  till  oth- 
ers, Hke  themselves,  shall  need  the  same  vindication.  A 
certain  fulfillment  or  completion  of  the  reign  of  error ^  be- 
ing requisite  before  its  extinction  can  be  accomphshed. 
Meantime  these  souls  rest,  as  witnesses  of  the  power  of 
divine  righteousness,  exercised  in  God's  plan  of  salvation ; 
which  power  is  symbolized  by  the  white  robes  given 
them.    The  brethren  alluded  to,  as  yet  about  to  be  killed^ 

*  §§  160-163. 

t  That  is,  the  j^olden  altar  before  the  throne  or  before  God,  (Rev.  9  :  13.) 
This  altar,  together  with  the  cross  sometimes  termed  tree,  and  the  tree  of 
life,  are  apparently  so  many  figures  of  the  will  or  purpose  of  God,  which 
Christ,  the  Son,  came  to  fulfill.  (Heb.  9  :  10.) 


136  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

are  such  probably  as  the  witnesses  in  sackcloth,  and  those 
who  have  suffered  under  the  reign  of  the  Beast  and  false 
prophet,  (Rev.  13  :  15.)  The  position  of  these  souls  under 
the  altar  may  indicate  the  character  of  their  testimony  as 
pertaining  more  immediately  to  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  The  altar  is  in  heaven,  and  not  on  earth.  The 
souls,  the  proper  sense  of  the  testimony  itself,  are  confined 
beneath  the  altar.  The  letter  of  the  testimony,  deprived  of 
these  souls,  is  with  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth. 

Seene.    The  Eaeth. 

On  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal  (Rev.  6  :  12)  there  was 
a  great  shaMng*  not  only  of  the  land  but  of  all  the 
elements  connected  with  it.  A  shaking  \  of  the  earthly 
system,  comprehending  the  heavenly  bodies  of  that  sys- 
tem ;  accordhig  to  the  notion  of  early  times,  that  the  earth 
was  the  centre  of  a  system  (such  as  we  now  term  our  solar 
system)  around  which  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  revolved. 
The  heavens  and  heavenly  lights,  in  this  connection,  with 
the  symbolical  earth,  are  to  be  considered  such  as  they 
were  esteemed  (speaking  figuratively)  by  the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth.  (See  Appendix  H.) 

This  shaking  exhibits  the  true  character  of  the  distin- 
guishing elements  of  the  earthly  system  of  justification 
by  works.     Its  Sim,  instead  of  appearing,  as  it  had  done 

*  We  prefer  this  term  in  this  place,  because  it  is  more  strictly  the  sense 
of  the  original,  here  as  elsewhere  in  the  N.  T.,  not  confining  our  ideas  to 
an  agitation  of  the  land  only,  or  even  of  this  globe  of  earth.  Compare  with 
Heb.  12  t  26. 

t  §§  164-167. 


PANIC   AND   SEALING.  137 

to  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  a  Sun  ol  righteousness, 
with  healing  in  his  wings,  is  now  seen  to  be  a  Sun  of  con- 
\dction,  clothed  in  a  blackness  of  sackcloth.  Then*  moon, 
the  symbol  of  glad-tidings,  (Rev.  12  :  1,)  now  appears  to 
them  to  reflect  only  the  rays  of  judicial  vengeance.  The 
stars,  the  lesser  Hghts  of  revelation,  are  brought  down, 
(Rev.  12:4,)  to  the  level  of  a  Hteral  and  carnal  appre- 
hension ;  under  this  aspect  the  true  heaven  or  exhibition 
of  divine  revelation,  is  rolled  up,  scroll-like,  and  with- 
drawn, that  those  who  reject  the  truth  may  be  no  longer 
permitted  to  contemplate  it.    (Heb.  12  :  17,  25.) 

The  iQstability  of  all  earthly  means  of  salvation,  (works 
or  merits  of  man,)  is  exhibited  to  the  apostle  by  the  re- 
moval of  mountains  and  islands  out  of  their  places.  The 
symbolical  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  of  every  rank  and  de- 
gree, from  the  king*  to  the  bondman,  are  apparently  yet 
unconvLQced  of  this  instability.  They  perceive  the  signs  of 
the  coming  visitation,  (the  great  day  of  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb;)  but  they  still  cling  to  their  supposed  means  of 
safety  ;  hiding  themselves  in  the  dens  and  under  the  rocks 
of  the  mountains,  (Rev,  6  :  15-17:)  a  state  of  appre- 
hension and  panic  corresponding  with  the  wailing  of  the 
kindreds  or  tribes  predicted.  Rev.  1:7;  Matt.  24  :  30 ; 
Isaiah  24  :  17-23. 

The  sha7ci7ig  of  the  earthly  system  of  works,  and  the 
judicial  appearance  of  the  heavenly  bodies  connected  with 
it,  is  thus  represented  as  bringing  all  the  principles  resting 
upon  this  system,  to  a  certain  crisis :  as  in  view  of  the 
administration  of  an  immediate  test  which  they  are  unable 
to  withstand :  what  the  peculiar  character  of  these  princi- 

*  §§  108-171. 


138  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

pies  is,  may  be  gathered  from  the  objects  of  their  appre- 
hension— the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  face  of  Him  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne.  They  are  all  principles  of  doctrine 
opposed  to  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  and  to  the 
vicarious  offering  of  Christ.  The  whole  system  of  justifi- 
cation by  works  is  here  represented  as  shaking  from  its 
foundation.  The  mountains  and  islands  (false  refuges)  do 
not  yet  entirely  disappear  ;  that  event  being  reserved  for 
a  further  development.     (Rev.  16  :  20.) 

Opposite  to  this  picture,  but  as  part  of  the  revelation  of 
the  same  seal,  an  exhibition  is  made  of  the  safety,  in  the 
midst  of  the  coming  trial,  of  certain  elements  of  revealed 
truth. 

Four  angels*  (Rev.  7:1)  occupyiug  the  four  corners 
of  the  earth,  (all  the  earth,)  are  commissioned  to  with- 
hold the  wind  from  the  earth,  and  from  the  sea,  and  from 
every  tree.  An  operation  analogous  to  a  manifestation  of 
the  want  of  the  spirit,  or  spirit-sense^  in  the  subjects  to 
be  acted  upon.  The  earth,  as  a  platform  of  works ;  the 
sea  as  an  earthly  means  of  purification  from  sin ;  or  rather 
as  the  earthly  inadequate  view  of  judicial  wrath ;  and  the 
trees  as  means  of  shelter  or  sustenance,  in  the  same  re- 
lation, opposites  of  the  tree  of  life. 

The  four  angels  are  thus  about  to  show  that  all  the 
principles  of  the  earthly  system  are  without  the  spirit;  and 
consequently  are  inconsistent  with  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion ;  opposed  to  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and  to  the  pro- 
pitiation of  Christ. 

But  there  are  some  exceptions  ;  there  are  prmciples  of 
this  system,  designed  to  come  into  the  divine  plan  of  mer- 


PANIC   AND   SEALING.  139 

cy ;  as  the  law  itself  is  said  to  be  a  leader  to  Christ,  and 
as  the  old  dispensation  ushers  in  the  new.  An  angel  from 
the  risings  of  the  sun^ — a  certain  evangelical  message,  or 
revelation,  interposes  to  check  this  operation,  till  the  ex- 
cepted principles  are  marked  with  the  seal  of  God,  show- 
ing by  some  characteristic  feature  their  correspondence 
with  Gospel  truth. 

According  to  our  common  version,  this  withholdiag  of 
the  word,  is  said  to  hurt  the  earth,  etc. ;  but  the  Greek 
term  signifiesf  something  the  opposite  of  justification, 
equivalent  to  unjustify,  or  to  withhold  justification,  to 
show  that  a  thing  or  principle  is  not  just.  Accordingly 
the  elements  exempted  from  this  process,  are  those  that 
remain  justified ;  that  is,  as  principles  they  are  designated 
as  just,  corresponding  with  the  divine  plan  of  justification, 
and  are  spoken  of  as  servants  of  God  and  as  bearing  the 
seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  J 

These  favored  elements  are  symbolized  as  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of 
Israel — ^twelve  thousand  of  each  tribe.  The  term  thou- 
sand^ we  consider  only  as  indicating  an  indefinite  large 
number ;  but  the  initial  number,  144,  being  the  product 
of  twelve  times  twelve,  indicates  the  joint  testimony  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament  Scriptures,  the  number 
of  the  twelve  apostles  multiplied  into  that  of  the  twelve 
tribes.  These  144,000  sealed  ones  accordingly  corre- 
spond with  the  principles  contained  in  those  writings.  The 

*  §  173.  t  §  174. 

X  The  term  rendered  hurt  here  and  elsewhere  in  the  Apocalypse,  is  the 
same  as  that  translated  unjust,  Rev  22  :  11.  It  is  to  be  taken  throughout  in 
u  judicial  sense. 


140  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

evidence  that  they  are  such,  must  be  found  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, from  which  they  are  drawn ;  and  this  evidence  of 
their  accordance  with  the  sacred  volume,  may  be  consid- 
ered the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads. 

We  shall  have  occasion  to  notice  the  action  of  these 
144,000  in  another  scene;  at  present  we  only  consider 
them  as  opposites  of  those  so  much  dreading  the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb. 

There  is  no  doubt*  a  meaning  to  be  attached  to  the  pa- 
triarchal names  or  characters  here  enumerated ;  but  we 
will  advert  only  to  one  significant  change  ;  that  of  Manas- 
seh  (forgetfulness)  substituted  for  Dan,  (judgment,)  cor- 
responding with  the  purposes  of  Him  with  whom  judg- 
ment is  a  strange  work,  (Jer.  21  :  34 ;)  and  the  transgres- 
sions of  his  redeemed  people  are  forgotten.  (Heb. 
8  :  12;  10  :  11.) 

The  difference  between  the  twenty-four  elders  and  these 
sealed  ones,  we  conceive  to  be,  that  the  first  symbolize 
eternal  principles  inherent  in  the  element  of  divine  sove- 
reignty ;  their  number  indicating  their  development  in  the 
old  and  new  dispensations,  whereas  the  144,000  f  sealed 
ones  indicate  the  principles  of  doctrine  revealed  in  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments,  as  they  enter  into  the  plan  of 
salvation  and  form  the  true  system  of  faith  in  Christ. 
These  latter  are  figuratively  represented  as  the  chUdi-en 
of  the  promise,  mixed  in  for  a  time  with  the  dwellers  on 
the  earth.  Every  system  (professedly  Christian)  of  sal- 
vation by  works  or  merits  of  man  having  in  it  some 
elements  of  truth  gathered  from  the  Scriptures.  As  we 
find  in  the  account  given  of  the  destruction  of  Babylon, 

*  §  176.  t  §§  175-176. 


PANIC   AND    SEALING.  141 

Rev.  18  :  4,  there  were  those  called  upon  to  come  out 
from  her,  that  they  might  not  partake  of  her  plagues 
The  sealing  of  these  144,000,  accordingly,  may  be  contem- 
plated as  a  process  taking  place  on  earthy  as  well  as  the 
panic  scene  of  the  opposite  character ;  although  the  apostle 
sees  both  from  his  standpoint  in  heaven,  where  only  these 
are  seen  or  known.  As  far  as  the  present  representation 
goes,  the  sealed  ones  are  not  separated  from  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth;  they  have  only  a  distinguishing  character- 
istic, which  preserves  them  from  being  imjustified^  as  the 
others  ;  wMle,  to  use  apostolic  language  in  a  case  analogous, 
they  still  remain  "  amidst  a  crooked  and  perverse  genera- 
tion, shining  as  lights  in  the  world." 

Immediately  after  these  different  exhibitions  of  panic 
on  one  side,  and  of  security  on  the  other,  a  choral  action 
of  many  voices  takes  place,  constituting,  as  we  have  sup- 
posed, the  first  stasimon,  or  one  of  the  grand  divisions 
of  the  representation.* 

The  song  is  first  taken  up  by  an  innumerable  multi- 
tude of  all  nations,  kindred,  and  people,  standing  before  the 
throne,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  pahns  in  their  hands, 
crying  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Salvation  to  om-  God  who  sit- 
teth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb ;"  equivalent  to 
an  ascription  of  praise  to  the  sovereign  grace  of  God,  and 
the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  song  or  act  of  praise  is  responded  to  by  all  the 
angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  aroimd  the  four  living 
creatures.  These  angels,  according  to  the  Greek,  stand- 
ing in  a  circle  outside  of  the  throne  and  the  elements  con- 
nected with  it,  prostrate  themselves  on  their  faces  before 

*  §§  177-178. 


142  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

the  throne ;  ascribing  "  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,  and  honor  unto  God  for  ever  and  ever." 
This  last  ascription  is  nearly  the  same  as  that  before  given 
to  God  and  the  Lamb  :  here,  the  angels,  elders,  and  four 
living  creatm-es,  speak  of  God  alone ;  we  suppose,  there- 
fore, a  fore-reaching  in  their  views  to  the  crisis,  when  the 
Son  (the  Lamb)  gives  up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father. 
Those  in  "  white  robes,"  contemplate  the  process  of  their 
salvation  as  due  only  to  the  sovereign  grace  of  God,  exer- 
cised in  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

The  explanation  of  the  elder,*  (Rev.  1  :  13-17,)  may  be 
classed  with  the  interpreting  chorus  of  the  Greek  tragedy, 
explaining  somewhat  of  the  mythoiXhQ  representation ;  and 
showing  its  application  to  disciples  themselves,  for  although 
there  coming  out  of  great  tribulation  would  apply  to  the 
souls  under  the  altar,  to  whom  white  robes  were  given ;  yet 
the  latter  part  of  the  explanation,  which  is  still  in  figura- 
tive language,  seems  to  aj^ply  directly  to  the  disciples  of 
Christ ;  if  so,  we  must  consider  that  it  is  by  faith  that 
they  have  washed  their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
The  palms  in  then-  hands  indicate  the  honor  they  purpose 
to  ascribe  to  the  Lamb ;  as  the  children  scattered  branches 
of  palm  trees  in  the  way  of  Jesus  Christ  on  his  entrance  into 
Jerusalem.  The  chorus  itself  does  not  form  part  of  the 
contest  about  to  be  exhibited  ;t  it  contemplates  the  result 
of  that  contest.    It  is  uttered  at  the  conclusion  of  the  sixth 


*  §§  179-181. 

t  The  sealing  of  the  144,000  is  lo  be  considered  the  conclusion  of  the 
iriatter  contained  in  the  sixth  scroll.  The  clwrus  is  the  act  of  spectators, 
who  are  to  be  supposed  to  have  witnessed  the  developments  of  this  and  the 
preceding  scrolls. 


CHOEUS.  143 

seal  development,  but  the  action  of  the  seventh  seal  is 
not  to  be  considered  as  commencing  where  this  chorus 
ends,  or  where  the  explanation  of  the  elder  leaves  it. 
The  description  of  the  service  of  God  by  this  multitude, 
(Rev.  7  :  15,)  corresponds  with  what  is  said  of  the  servants 
of  God  at  the  close  of  the  exhibition.  (Rev.  22  :  3.)  Their 
condition,  secure  from  hunger,  and  thirst,  and  heat,  corre- 
sponds also  with  the  position  afforded  by  the  ample  provi- 
sions of  the  New  Jerusalem,  with  its  river  of  the  water  of 
life,  and  its  tree  of  life,  and  the  throne  of  God  and  the 
Lamb  in  the  midst  thereof;  he  that  sitteth  on  the  thi-one 
dwelling  amongst  them. 

As  it  is  only  when  the  disciple  feels  his  salvation  secure 
that  he  can  fully  experience  the  gratitude,  or  love  to  God, 
due  for  that  salvation  ;  so  it  is  only  when  he  performs  his 
duty  from  this  sense  of  gratitude,  or  love,  that  he  can  be 
said,  strictly  speaking,  to  serve  God.  So  long  as  he  con- 
siders his  salvation  hypothetical,  his  motive  of  service  will 
be  hypothetical ;  something  like  the  vow  of  Jacob,  (Gen. 
28  :  20 :)  "If  God  will  keep  me,"  etc.,  "  then  shall  the 
Lord  be  my  God ;"  as  if  he  had  added,  if  not,  not.  That 
the  seiwants  of  God  may  serve  him  from  a  motive  of  love  or 
gratitude,  and  not  from  a  view  of  benefiting  themselves, 
there  must  be  no  doubt  of  what  God  has  done  for  them, 
and  this  state  of  perfect  assurance  can  only  exist  where 
they  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more,  and  where 
the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  feeds  them,  and 
leads  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters.  Meantime 
their  love  and  their  service  will  be  in  proi)ortion  to  their 
faith  and  hope  in  these  promises. 

Thus  far  the  opening  of  the  first  six  seals  has  only  revealed 


144  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

to  113  the  condition  of  the  several  parties  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  aggressive  movements  about  to  be  exhibited. 

The  combatants  have  gone  forth  ;  the  souls  of  the  mar- 
tyred victims  of  the  earthly  powers  are  crying  to  heaven 
for  the  vindication  of  their  cause;  their  oppressors, 
dwellers  upon  the  earth,  (elements  of  the  platform  of 
works,)  in  view  of  the  coming  visitation,  are  vainly  seek- 
ing refuges  and  hiding-places  in  the  fundamental  elements 
of  their  own  systems.  This  whole  earthly  system  of  self- 
dependence,  with  its  atoning  and  self-justifying  preten- 
sions, de23rived  of  any  evidence  of  the  spirit^  is  exposed  to 
the  wi'ath  of  the  Lamb,  as  we  shall  see,  without  means  of 
defense :  while  the  elements  of  revealed  truth,  protected 
by  the  characteristic  seal  of  God,  the  prominent  feature 
of  the  plan  of  sovereign  grace,  are  prepared  for  this  hour 
of  trial;  Tcept^  according  to  the  promise  to  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  Philadelphia.     (Rev.  3  :  10.) 

This  preparative  exhibition  completed,  a  choral  action 
of  an  innumerable  multitude  of  spectators,  together  with 
an  explanation  of  one  of  the  elders,  as  a  chorus  of  one 
voice,  closes  the  scene.* 

*  §§  182-184. 


SEVENTH  SEAL  AND  TRUMPETS.  145 


CHAPTER    II. 

SEVENTH   SEAL SEVEN  TRUMPETS    GIVEN    OUT — ^FIEST  FOUR 

TRUMPETS — EIETH  TRUMPET,  FIRST  WO  ;  LOCUST-SCOR- 
PIONS  SIXTH  TRUMPET,  SECOND  WO  ;  EUPHRATEAN  CAV- 
ALRY  ^THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL — ^TIME  NO  LONGER THE  LIT- 
TLE BOOK WITNESSES  IN  SACKCLOTH. 

Act  II.     Scene :  in  Heaven. 

At  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in 
heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour.*  (Rev.  8:1.) 
This  silence,  or  pause,  seems  intended  to  dii*ect  our  atten- 
tion to  the  commencement  of  the  aggressive  action  of  the 
wrath  about  to  be  represented;  for  which  the  previous 
developments  were  only  a  preparation.  Accordingly,  the 
exhibition  is  introduced  by  the  presentation  of  the  seven 
trumpets  to  the  seven  angels,  (messengers,)  preceded  by 
solemn  sacrificial  rites,  in  keeping  with  the  custom  of  an- 
cient times,  as  well  amongst  other  nations  as  with  the 
Hebrews. 

The  use  of  the  trumpet,  as  frequently  alluded  to  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  particularly  as  employed  in  the  siege  of 
Jericho,  (Josh., 6  :  4-16,)  is  sufficient  to  prepare  our  minds 
for  the  contemplation  of  an  active  state  of  hostilities. 

The  altar,f  the  same  as  that  before  spoken  of,  (Rev. 
6  :  9,)  is  here  described  as  of  gold;  the  censer,  also,  is  of 
the  same  material,  truth  being  the  characteristic  of  both. 

*  §§  185,  186.  t  §  187. 


UG  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

The  first,  we  have  ah-eady  noticed  as  a  figure  of  the  will, 
or  purpose,  of  God.  The  censer,  with  the  priestly  action 
of  the  angel  in  possession,  symbolizes  the  virtual  interces- 
sion of  Christ,  in  ofiering  upon  the  altar,  his  own  merits, 
his  body  and  blood,  as  incense,  with  the  petitions  of  the 
holy  ones  ;  thereby  securing  their  acceptance  ;  identifymg 
the  one  with  the  other. 

These  holy  ones,  (saints,)  we  suppose  to  be  the  souls  be- 
fore seen  under  the  altar,  and  the  matter  of  their  petition* 
may  reasonably  be  considered  such  as  there  described: 
the  petitions  of  those  waiting  the  \Tndication  of  their  cause 
and  the  avenging  of  their  blood.  The  smoke  of  the  incense 
is  its  sweet-smelling  savor,  and  as  such  represents  the  ac 
ceptable  character  of  the  mediatorial  ofiering  of  Christ 

Fire,  being  a  figure  of  the  revealed  Word  of  God,*  tht 
fire  from  the  altar,  cast  into  the  earth,  is  equivalent  to  the 
application  of  a  development  of  the  nature  of  the  vicarious 
ofiermg  of  Christ  to  the  earthly  system  of  salvation  by 
works  :  perhaps,  by  way  of  comparison,  the  voices,  thmi- 
derings,  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake,  indicate,  also,  a 
development  of  the  law,  as  from  Sinai,  giving  efiect  to 
the  comparison  by  showing  the  insufficiency  of  that  earth- 
ly system,  and  its  tendency,  in  its  own  nature,  to  call  forth 
the  very  legal  powers  it  professes  to  satisfy. 

Amidst  these  Sinaic  accompaniments,  and  preceding  the 
comparison  supposed,  the  seven  angels  (messengers)  pre- 
pare to  sound. 

The  withholduig  of  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  (Rev. 
1  :  2,)  by  manifesting  the  want  of  tlie  Spirit  in  the  earthly 
system,  with  its  sea  and  trees,  having  imjustijled  these 

*  §  188. 


FIRST   TRUMPET.  147 

elements,  (showing  their  inconsistency  with  the  divine  plan 
of  justification ;)  their  incapability  to  withstand  the  test 
of  divine  revelation  is  now  to  be  exhibited. 

Scene :  the  Earth. 

On  the  sounding  of  the  first  trumpet,*  haU  and  fire 
mingled  with  blood  were  cast  upon  the  earth,  and  the 
third  of  trees  was  burnt  up  and  all  green  grass  was 
burnt  up. 

All  these  trumpets  are  figures  of  the  development  of 
divine  truth ;  the  results  of  the  sounding  showing  the  par- 
ticular truth,  developed  in  their  action  upon  the  errors 
opposed  to  them.  Hail  is  spoken  of  in  prophecy  (Is. 
28  :  15-18)  as  an  instrument  in  sweeping  away  the  refuges 
of  lies — false  ways  of  escape  from  the  vengeance  of  the 
broken  law ;  and  Jire  (the  fire  of  the  revealed  Word  of 
God)  is  declared  to  be  the  element  destined  to  try  every 
work  (Jer.  23  :  29 ;  1  Cor.  3  :  3)  upon  which  dependence 
is  placed  for  salvation.  As  blood  is  the  life  or  spirit  of  the 
animal,  the  mingling  of  blood  with  hail  and  fire  indicates 
the  action  of  the  inner  sense  of  written  revelation,  as  what 
is  commonly  called  the  spirituality  of  the  law — its  exactions 
in  their  strictest  sense,  as  satisfied  with  nothing  less  than 
the  blood  of  the  transgressor. 

The  thii'd  of  trees  and  the  third  of  grass,  we  take  to  be 
these  things  in  their  third,  or  analogical,  sense.f 

*  §§  189, 190. 

t  Our  common  version  here  and  in  some  corresponding  passages  speaks 
of  the  third*  ^ar^  of  certain  things,  where  it  is  evident  that  the  idea  of  a 
partis  not  admissible.    In  the  Greek,  the  word^a;-^   is  not  expressed; 

♦  §§  191,198. 


148  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

Trees  and  grass*  are  the  production  of  tlie  earth. 
Trees  afford  shade — shelter  from  the  rays  of  the  sun — 
and  their  fruit  for  food,  theii*  leaves  for  medicine.  They 
are  accordingly  supposed  means  of  shelter  from  the  wrath 
of  God ;  supposed  means  of  eternal  life,  and  the  reme- 
dies of  the  earthly  system  for  the  disease  of  sin.  Theii* 
shelter  is  an  opposite  of  that  compared  in  prophecy  to 
the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land.  Their  fruit  is 
an  opposite  of  that  of  the  tree  of  life,  in  the  midst  of  the 
holy  city,  and  theii'  leaves  are  alike  opposites  of  those  for 
the  healing  of  the  nations.     (Rev.  22  :  2.) 

The  gi*ass  of  the  earth  is  its  covering  or  garment,  a  cov- 
ering of  its  own  growth,  and  as  such  is  a  figure  of  the 
pretended  robe,  or  garment,  of  self-righteousness  furnish- 
ed by  the  earthly  platform  of  justification  by  works,  or 

that  of  tUrd  only  is  employed ;  and  it  seems  necessary  to  define  here  what 
we  understand  by  the  third  of  things,  as  used  throughout  the  vision. 

There  are  three  senses  in  which  the  language  of  Scripture  may  be 
understood  :  1st.  The  letter  or  literal  sense,  which  is  too  commonly  used 
to  need  explanation.  2d.  The  metaphorical  or  rhetorical  sense,  in  which 
figures  of  speech  are  employed  by  speakers  and  writers,  very  much  at  ran- 
dom, to  illustrate  a  subject  or  adorn  an  expression ;  and  thiy^d,  what  we 
term  the  analogical,  or  spirit-aense ;  sometimes  the  spiritual  sense ;  a  sense 
in  which  we  conceive  every  figurative  word  and  symbol  of  divine  revelation, 
has  its  own  peculiar  hidden  meaning ;  that  meaning  bearing  an  evident  re- 
lation to  the  word  or  figure  employed,  and  according  with  some  uniform 
rule  of  analogy.  The  rhetorical  speaker,  for  example,  might  express  the 
variety  and  uncertainty  of  all  earthly  things,  by  comparing  them  with  the 
trees  and  grass  of  the  earth,  which  is  well  enough  as  far  as  it  goes ;  but 
we  say  there  is  a  more  definite  sense  in  which  these  figures  are  to  be  under- 
stood in  the  Apocalypse,  and  perhaps  throughout  the  sacred  writings;  this 
we  denominate  the  third,  or  analogical,  sense,  of  which  onr  use  of  it  as 
above,  will  afibrd  a  sufficient  explanation. 

*  S  194, 


SECOND   TRUMPET.  149 

meritorious  observances.  This  is  rendered  more  signifi- 
cant in  the  Greek,  by  a  term  equivalent  to  that  of  pale 
green  grass^  the  color  of  the  pale  green  horse.  (Rev. 
0:8.)  The  action  of  the  hail,  fire,  and  blood  here  corre- 
sponding with  that  ascribed  to  the  burning  heat  of  the 
sun  by  the  apostle  James  ;  as  the  rich  man  there  spoken  of 
is  apparently  a  character  similar  to  that  of  the  deluded 
angel  of  the  Laodicean  church. 

Such  are  the  pretensions  of  the  earthly  system  of  self- 
justification,  and  such  their  destruction  when  exposed  to  a 
comparison  with  the  requisitions  of  the  law  developed  in 
its  spirit-sense,  symbolized  by  the  action  of  hail,  fire,  and 
blood,  showing  the  entire  insufficiency  of  that  system  to 
furnish  any  means  of  eternal  life,  any  remedy  for  the  guilt 
of  sin ;  any  shelter  from  the  wrath  to  come,  or  any  robe 
of  righteousness  as  a  garment  of  salvation. 

At  the  sound  of  the  second  trumpet,  a  great  burning 
mountaiu  is  cast  into  the  sea.  The  sea,  in  the  third  sense^ 
becomes  blood ;  the  living  creatures  in  the  sea,  in  the 
same  sense,  die ;  and  the  ships,  also  in  the  same  sense,  are 
destroyed.     (Rev.  8  :  8-9.) 

Mountains*  are  refuges,  or  rather  foundations  of  refu- 
ges :  foundations  for  fortified  places,  in  case  of  invasion, 
and  for  dwellings  in  case  of  deluge  ;  as  such,  they  symbol- 
ize foundations  of  earthly  systems,  upon  which  the  self- 
righteous  rest  theii'  hopes  of  salvation.  This  moimtain, 
great  in  the  estimation  of  the  men  of  the  earth,  is  an  op- 
posite of  Mount  Zion.  As  a  mountain  in  a  state  of  com- 
bustion, it  represents  the  foundation  or  fundamental  prin- 
ciple of  a  system  undergoing  a  test  or  trial,  by  the  action 

*  §§  195-197. 


150  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

of  the  revecded  word  of  God.  By  this  action  it  is  brought 
in  contact  with  the  sea^  the  element  of  judicial  wrath,  in- 
cident to  the  broken  law.  By  this  contact,  or  compari- 
son, the  true,  or  ^pzVeY-nature,  of  that  wrath,  is  exhibited 
as  requiring  nothmg  less  than  the  life  (blood)  of  the  trans- 
gressor.* The  mountain,  the  foundation  of  the  whole  sys- 
tem, is  swallowed  up  in  this  element;  and  with  it,  aU  the  crea- 
tures or  prmcij^les  exposed  to  the  same  action  are  manifest- 
ed to  be  without  the  Spirit  or  life  ;t  the  real  character  of 
this  avenging  element  of  the  broken  law  being  thus  shown. 

Ships,  hi  the  third  sense^X  ^^'^  means  of  salvation  of  hu- 
man invention ;  as  figures,  they  are  arks  of  human  con- 
struction ;  opposites  of  the  only  ark  of  safety,  typified  by 
that  built  by  the  command  of  God.  These  means  of  sal- 
vation by  ofierings  of  human  merit,  are  all  manifested  to 
be  insufficient  to  withstand  the  judicial  visitation  repre 
sented. 

On  the  sounding  of  the  third  trumpet,  a  great  star, 
caUed  Wormwood,  burning  "  as  it  were  a  lamp,"  fell  fi-om 
heaven  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters,  in  their 
third  sense,  by  which  these  waters  became  bitter,  even 
causing  the  death  of  many  of  those  dwellers  upon  the 
earth  who  drank  of  them.§ 

At  the  commencement  of  this  representation,  we  have 
seen  the  heaven  rolled  up  as  a  scroll ;  we  now  perceive- 
that  there  are  to  be,  nevertheless,  partial  revelations  from 
it.     This  great  star  is  an  important  light  thrown  fi'om  the 

*  §  197. 

t  The  mountain  corresponds,  apparently,  with  that  spoken  of  by  the  pro- 
phet, of  which  not  a  stone  could  be  allowed  for  a  foundation.    (Jer.  51 :  25.) 
X  §  198.  §  §§  199-201. 


FOURTH   TRUMPET.  151 

heavenly  upon  the  earthly  system.  The  star  is  not  in  a 
state  of  combustion  Hke  the  mountain.  It  burns  as  a 
lamp,  to  give  light  wherever  it  is  employed,  and  falls  as 
the  Holy  Spirit  fell  in  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

The  effect  of  this  hght  is  to  show  the  real  character  of 
the  means  of  atonement  belonging  to  the  earthly  system 
of  works ;  figuratively  rivers  and  fountains  of  the  earth, 
opposites  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life,  (Rev.  22  :  1,) 
and  of  the  fountain  opened  for  sin  and  uncleanness,  (Zech. 
13  :  1 :)  as  all  human  inventions  of  propitiation  are  oppo- 
sites of  the  atonement  or  blood  of  Christ. 

The  bitterness  of  these  waters,*  so  as  even  to  cause 
death,  manifests  the  reaction,  as  well  as  insufficiency, 
of  all  earthly  pretensions  to  ablution  from  sin,  showing 
that  at  the  best,  they  can  only  result  m  a  conviction  of 
sin  without  hope  of  relief;  derived,  as  they  are,  altogether 
from  the  earthly  system  of  justification  by  works  of  the 
law.  As  the  bitterness  of  the  waters  of  Marah  could  be 
cured  only  by  the  wood  (type  of  the  cross)  apphed  to 
them ;  so  the  bitter  conviction  of  sin,  here  represented, 
can  only  be  reheved  by  a  resort  to  the  vicarious  sacrifice 
of  Christ.  That  remedy,  however,  is  not  a  part  of  this 
trumpet's  voice  :  the  design  here  being  only  to  show  the 
folly  of  the  pretensions  of  man  (the  sinner)  to  atone  for 
himself  by  works  of  the  law. 

At  the  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet,  (Rev.  8  :  12,) 
the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  (in  their  third  or  analogical  sense) 

*  The  name  of  the  star,  (that  of  a  bitter  herb,)  directs  our  attention  to 
ihe  manner  of  keeping  the  passover  under  the  legal  dispensation,  (Gen. 
12  :  8.)  typical  of  the  sense  of  sin,  requisite  to  faith  in  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ. 


152  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

are  smitten.  The  day  and  night,  also  in  the  same 
sense,  are  deprived  of  light.* 

Here  there  is  an  exhibition  of  total  darkness.  On  the 
opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  the  sim  became  black  and  the 
moon  as  blood,  and  the  lights  of  revelation  (stars)  were 
brought  mider  an  earthly  construction.  Now,  the  light, 
or  righteousness,  afforded  by  the  heavenly  system,  is  alto- 
gether withdrawn  from  view.  The  Sun  of  righteousness, 
as  part  of  that  system,  is  not  at  all  discerned.  The  moon, 
the  harbinger  of  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  is  not  seen. 
The  stars,  the  Hghts  before  referred  to,  are  not  merely 
dragged  to  earth,  or  brought  under  an  earthly  construc- 
tion ;  they  afford  no  light  whatever.  We  do  not  mean 
here,  intellectual  hght  merely;  we  mean  that  divine 
righteousness,  which  is  figuratively  spoken  of  in  the  Scrip- 
tures as  light,  (1  Timo.  6  :  16  :)  that  righteousness,  which 
by  imputation  to  the  disciple,  is  the  means  afforded  in  the 
heavenly  system  of  his  justification  in  the  sight  of  God. 
The  development  of  this  trumpet's  voice,  indicates  the 
entire  absence,  in  the  earthly  system,  of  the  means  of 
justification :  corresponding  with  what  is  afterwards  said 
of  the  kingdom  of  the  beast ;  that  it  is  full  of  darkness — 
a  darkness,  such  we  may  suppose  as  was  typified  by  one 
of  the  plagues  of  Egypt.     (Ex.  10  :  22.) 

Thus  far,  we  have  still  only  seen  the  preparation  for  the 
execution  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  upon  the  dwellers 
on  the  earth — that  is,  upon  the  principles  hostile  to  his 
government.  As  in  the  warlike  operations  of  a  military 
commander,  the  resources  of  the  enemy  are  first  cut  off. 
The  trees  of  the  earth  afford  no  shelter ;  the  pale  green 
grass  no  covering ;  the  great  m.oimtain  of  self-dependence 

•55-  k;§  202-204. 


FIFTH   trumpet;    FIRST   WO.  153 

is  swallowed  up  in  a  sea  of  blood ;  the  fountains  and, 
rivers  yield  no  water  fit  for  the  purpose  of  life,  and  dark- 
ness pervades  the  whole  land,  or  system. 

Scene:  the  Mid-Heaven. 

THE     THREE      WO-TRUMPETS. 

At  the  close  of  the  representation  resulting  from  the 
sounding  of  the  first  four  trumpets,  a  special  messenger, 
flying  through  the  mid-heaven,  announces  certain  woes, 
especially  to  the  inhahiters  of  the  earth ;  in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  earth  itself  and  its  productions,  or  other 
elements.*     (Rev.  8  :  13.) 

The  visitations  described  in  the  voices  of  the  preceding 
trumpets,  applied  directly  to  the  pretended  resources  and 
fallacious  character  of  the  platform  of  self-justification, 
symboKzed  by  the  earth  as  the  centre  of  a  system  ;  com- 
prehending the  land,  with  its  productions,  the  sea  with 
its  ships,  and  the  heavenly  bodies,  as  its  satellites;  ac- 
cording to  the  astronomy  of  the  ancients.  The  fallacy  of 
these  earthly  views  having  been  exposed,  the  principles 
depending  upon  them  for  support,  (symbolized  as  men,  or 
"  inhabiters  of  the  earth,")  must  be  now  supposed  to  be 
in  the  position  of  a  people  whose  resources  have  been  cut 
ofi*,  and  who  are  thus  reduced  to  contend  with  a  hostile 
power  in  the  last  extremity.  In  this  position,  these  sym- 
bolical inhahiters  of  the  earth  have  pecuhar  reason  to 
dread  the  developments  of  the  three  subsequent  trumpets.f 

*  §  205. 

+  All  of  the  seven  trumpets  may  be  considered  as  announcing  woes  to 
earthly  elements,  but  the  developments  of  the  last  three  are  woes  to  the 
■inhallters  of  the  earth,  as  distinoruished  from  its  productions  and  satellites. 


154  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 


Scene:  the  Earth. — First   Wo. 

A  star  falls  from  heaven  imto  the  earth,  equivalent  to  a 
light  of  revelation  thrown  upon  the  earthly  system :  the 
star,  faUi?ig  also  in  a  good  sense,  as  the  Holy  Spirit /eZ/ 
upon  the  Apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

To  this  star  is  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  (one 
of  the  keys  of  Death  and  Hell ;  Rev.  1:18.)  This  pit,* 
without  a  bottom,  may  well  be  supposed  to  represent  a 
mystery,  kindred,  if  not  equivalent,  to  that  of  Death  and 
Hell.f  The  purpose  of  the  key  is  to  unlock  or  to  expose 
the  true  character  of  the  principles  of  the  system  repre- 
sented by  the  pit. 

As  a  pit  must  be  part  of  the  earth,  so  must  this  pit  with- 
out a  bottom,  represents  a  part  of  the  earthly  system  of 

That  these  "inhabiters  of  the  earth,"  or  "dwellers  upon  the  earth,"  are 
principles  of  doctrine,  and  not  human  beings,  is  confirmed  by  the  manner 
in  which  they  are  finally  destroyed,  Identifying  them,  as  we  must,  with 
the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,  they  were  slain  at  last  by  the  sword 
mit  of  tlie  moxdh  of  the  Word  of  God,  (Rev.  19  :  17-21,)  and  that  which  such 
a  sword  destroys  must  be  errors  of  doctrine  and  not  literally  human 
beings. 

There  are  thus  two  classes  of  errors  represented  in  these  visitations,  difibr- 
ing  as  the  material  differs  from  the  work  or  works  formed  from  it.  The  earth, 
with  its  productions  and  satellites,  represents  the  material  of  the  legal 
platform  of  self-dependence :  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  represent  the  prin- 
ciples, or  pretensions  of  merit,  as  works  performed  with  this  material.  An 
illustration  of  this  may  be  found  in  the  case  of  Adam,  to  whom  the  earth 
(cursed  on  his  account)  was  the  material  for  his  labor;  while,  in  this  posi- 
tion, thorns  and  thistles  were  to  be  the  reward  of  his  works. 

*  §  206. 

t  AH  systems  of  faith  or  doctrine,  tending  to  legal  condemnation,  must 
belong  to  the  mystery  of  Death  and  Hell,  and  as  such  are  virtually  opened 
by  the  Word  of  God,  as  exliibited  in  this  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ. 


FIFTH    trumpet;    FIRST   WO.  155 

works ;  or  that  system  itself  under  a  certain  aspect ; 
equivalent  to  the  view  of  a  system  of  justification  by 
works  without  a  foundation,  as  opposite  to  the  divine  plan 
of  salvation  as  a  bottomless  pit  is  to  Moimt  Sion ;  or  as 
a  plan  of  salvation  founded  upon  human  merit,  is  an  op- 
posite of  the  divine  plan,  founded  upon  the  purpose  of 
sovereign  Grace. 

The  pit  being  opened,*  the  fir^t  emanation  from  it  is 
smoke,  as  from  a  gToat  furnace  ;  symbolizing  a  system  of 
docti-ine  undergoing  a  trial  by  the  fire  of  the  revealed 
Word  of  God.  The  sun  and  au'  are  darketied  by  reason 
of  the  smoke,  exhibiting  the  tendency  of  the  principles  of 
the  system  in  question,  to  obscure  the  sun  of  righteous- 
ness, not  allowing  the  prominent  feature  of  God's  plan  of 
salvation,  by  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ,  to  be 
discerned ;  and  this  by  causing  a  misconstruction  of  the 
written  word.  The  az>,  as  the  medium  through  which  we 
contemplate  the  heavenly  bodies  literally,  being  symboli- 
cally employed  here  and  elsewhere  in  the  Apocalypse  to 
represent  the  construction,  through  which,  or  mider  which, 
the  sacred  Scriptures  are  interpreted.  A  system  of  doc- 
trine causing  a  false  construction  of  the  written  word,  is 
thus  figm^atively  said  to  darken  the  ae>  by  the  views  ema- 
nating from  it. 

But  the  o]3ening  of  the  pit  evolves  another  characteris- 
tic of  the  bottomless  system  represented.  As  a  system  of 
justification  by  works,  (the  merits  of  man,)  the  accusatory 
pi-inciples  of  the  law  are  necessarily  involved  in  it ;  and 
as  soon  as  the  mystery^  the  hidden  but  real  character  of 
the  system  is  revealed,  these  legal,  accusatory  elements 

*  ?§  207,  20S. 


156  THE    6EAXED    BOOK. 

are  perceived  to  act  upon  the  principles  of  self-justifica- 
tion ;  which  action  is  represented  by  that  of  a  multitude 
of  locusts,  (having  power  as  the  scorpions  of  the  earth 
have  power)  upon  the  men  of  the  earth.  Earthly  elements 
thus  destroying  each  other,  corresponding  with  the  pow- 
er, or  commission,  given  to  the  rider  of  the  red  horse,  "  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one 
another."     (Rev.  6  :  4.) 

.  These  locust-scorpions*  were  commissioned  to  hurt 
only  the  men  of  the  earth,  who  were  without  the  seal  of 
God  in  then*  foreheads.  The  term  translated  hurt  is  the 
same,  in  the  original,  as  that  applied  to  the  withholding 
of  the  winds  of  the  earth,  (Rev.  7  :  2,)  and  signifies  here, 
as  there,  the  opposite  of  justifying.  To  hurt^  accordingly, 
ij3  to  unjustify.  Thus  the  men  of  the  earth,t  being  a 
figure  of  principles  depending  upon  the  earthly  system  of 
justification  by  works,  the  action  of  these  legal  accusatory 
elements  is  to  demonstrate  the  want  of  any  power  of  just- 
ification in  the  earthly  principles  symboUcally  spoken  of 
as  men.  Excepting  always  those  elements  of  diidne  truth 
contained  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  which,  although  mixed 
in  with  certain  earthly  principles,  are  distinguished  from 
them  by  some  characteristic  equivalent  to  "  the  seal  of 
God  in  their  foreheads." 

The  natural  food  of  the  locust  consists  of  vegetable 
substances ;  for  which  reason,  the  choice  of  the  figure 
here  seems  intended  to  prevent  any  literal  understanding 

*  §§  209-211. 

t  As  these  men  of  the  earth  are  distinguished  from  the  144,000  sealer! 
ones,  we  presume  them  to  be  those  represented  in  the  panic  scene,  at  the 
opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  now  beginning  to  experience  the  wrath  thev 
then  so  much  dreaded. 


FIFTH    trumpet;    FIRST    WO.  151 

of  it,  prohibited,  as  these  figurative  animals  are,  from 
acting  upon  grass  or  any  green  thing  ;  a  further  reason  for 
this  prohibition  may  be,  that  the  earth  and  its  trees  have 
been  already  unjustified  (hurt)  by  the  withholding  of  the 
four  winds  of  the  earth. 

The  word  translated  torment,  would  be  better  rendered 
here  by  that  of  torture;  being  an  allusion  to  the  operation 
m  ancient  times  of  extracting  a  confession  of  truth  from  a 
supposed  criminal.  These  locust-scorpions  had  power 
not  to  kill,  but  to  torture  the  men  of  the  earth  for  five 
months.  As  the  scorpion  is  distinguished  for  the  tenacity 
of  his  attack,  the  whole  figure  seems  to  correspond  with  that 
conviction  of  a  destitution  of  all  righteousness  or  means  of 
justification,  which  must  result  from  an  application  of  the 
accusing  principles  of  the  law  (in  its  strictest  sense)  to  all 
pretensions  of  justification  by  works.  The  process  is  some- 
thing i^arallel  to  the  preaching  of  repentance  producing  a 
conviction  of  sin,  by  John  the  Baptist ;  whose  priority  of 
birth  to  that  of  our  Saviour  may  be  alluded  to  in  the 
figurative  limitation  oi  five  tnontJis  for  this  torturing  trial. 

As  the  preaching  of  repentance  opened  the  way  for 
faith  in  Chi-ist,  by  showing  the  necessity  of  a  super-human 
propitiation,  so  the  action  of  these  scorpion-locusts,  upon 
the  earthly  principles,  seems  preparatory  to  an  exhibition 
of  the  false  pretensions  to  atonement,  represented  in  the 
development  of  the  next  trumpet ;  the  error  of  self-justi- 
fication leading  (on  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system) 
to  the  next  error  of  self-propitiation. 

The  desire  of  death,  without  the  ability,  of  obtainmg  it, 
may  be  considered  a  figure  of  this  extreme  bitterness  of 
conviction ;  corresponding  with  the  condition  of  a  sufiferer 


158  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

upon  the  rack,  from  whom  death  is  withheld  till  the  confes- 
sion desired  is  extorted  by  the  tortm-e  inflicted ;  the  men 
thus  tortui'ed  being  symbolical  men,  (dwellers  upon  the 
earth,)  figures  of  prmciples  of  self-justification,  undergomg 
the  test  or  trial  of  a  comparison  with  the  requisitions  of 
the  law. 

The  shapes*  of  the  locust,  "  like  unto  war-horses,"  asso- 
ciates tliem  with  one  or  another  of  the  horses  seen  on  the 
opening  of  the  foui*  first  seals ;  apparently  the  fiery  red 
horse,  whose  rider  was  armed  with  the  sword  of  the  law. 
Their  crowns,  as  of  gold,  symboHze  their  triumph  as  prin- 
ciples of  truth ;  elements  of  a  legal  power  not  to  be  dis- 
puted. Their  faces,  as  the  faces  of  men,  indicate  that 
reason  or  wisdom  which  should  prompt  a  counting  of  the 
cost  in  every  contest ;  as  has  been  remarked  in  relation  to 
the  rider  of  the  black  horse,  with  his  balances  and  tariff  of 
prices.  Theii'  hair,  as  the  hair  of  woman,  (1  Cor.  11  :  15,) 
indicates  their  subservience  to  Gospel  princij^les ;  while 
their  teeth,  as  the  teeth  of  lions,  symbolize  their  legal 
power  otherwise.  Their  breast-plates  (cuirasses)  of  iron 
indicate  their  own  invulnerable  character,  as  elements 
of  that  law  of  which  every  jot  and  tittle  must  be  ful- 
filled. So,  the  soimd  of  their  onset  corresponds  with 
the  fearful  alarm  of  the  law,  when  carried  home  to  the 
conscience.  (Heb.  12  :  21.)  Their  power  to  imjustify^ 
(hurt,)  vested  in  the  sting  of  their  tails,  leads  us  to  asso- 
ciate their  action  with  that  of  the  great  dragon,  (Rev. 
12:4;)  symbolizing  a  construction  of  the  law  in-espect- 
ive  of  its  proper  use  in  leading  to  Christ.  The  legal 
elements  themselves  are  true,  but  the  construction  is  false, 

*  §?  '212,214. 


FIFTH    TEUMPET;    FIRST    WO.  159 

for,  as  it  is  said,  "  If  there  had  been  a  law  given  which 
could  have  given  hfe,  verily  righteousness  (justification) 
should  have  come  by  the  law."  (Gal.  3  :  22.)  According- 
ly, the  sting  is  here  represented  in  the  tail;  as  where  the 
head  of  the  serpent  has  been  crushed,  the.  sting  of  this 
head  710  mcyi'e  remains.  The  tail  may  also  have  reference 
to  the  misconstruction  or  misapprehension,  as  of  the  false 
prophet.     (Is.  9  :  15.) 

These  locusts  had  a  king  over  them ;  another  feature 
distinguishing  them  from  ordinaiy  locusts.  (Pro v.  30:27.) 
He  is  termed  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  his 
name,  both  m  the  Greek  and  Hebrew,  signifies  the  destroy- 
er. As  the  agent  or  messenger  of  the  legal  host,  emanat- 
ing from  the  bottomless  pit-system,  he  is  the  destroyer  of 
aU  pretensions  to  self-justification.  As  coming  from  the 
bottomless  pit,  he  may  be  also  identified  with  the  beast 
from  the  pit,  by  whom  the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth 
are  killed,  (Rev.  11  :  8  ;)  in  which  respect  he  is  also  the  des- 
troyer of  witnesses  of  the  truth,  when  their  testimony,  as 
we  shall  see,  is  delivered  under  a  sackcloth-misconstruc- 
tion. As  the  king  or  chief  of  these  accusatory  principles 
of  the  law,  the  action  of  \M\^Appolyon^  (according  with 
that  of  Satan,  the  accuser  of  the  brethren ;  Rev.  12  :  10,) 
we  may  presume  him  to  be  a  personification  of  the  same 
principle.  Here  his  action  is  directed,  and  the  exercise  of 
his  power  is  permitted  to  show  the  presumption  of  the 
earthly  principles*  of  selfjustification,  in  contending  with 
the  legal  elements  necessarily  evolved  from  the  system 
itself,  to  which  they  belong.f 

*  "  Inhabiters  of  the  earth,"  alluded  to  Rev.  8  :  13,  in  reference  to  this 
first  wo. 

t  §§  215,  217. 


160  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 


Scene :  the  Earth. — Second  Wo.     {Rev.  9  :  13-21.) 

On  the  soimding  of  the  sixth  trumpet,  a  voice  is  heard 
from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden  altar.*  The  source 
whence  this  voice  proceeds  indicates  a  near  connection  of 
the  object  about  to  be  presented  with  the  sacrificial  pur- 
poses of  the  altar.  The  golden  altar  is  the  true  altar ; 
which,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  is  a  figure  of  the  will, 
or  Word  of  God,  upon  which,  as  upon  an  altar,  the  vicari- 
ous sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ  was  ofiered.     (Heb.  5  :  7,  9.) 

The  preceding  trumpet  having  caused  an  exhibition 
of  the  folly  of  earthly  pretensions  to  self-justification,  the 
question  next  occurring  is :  "  If  the  earthly  system  of 
wo7'lcs  can  not  furnish  the  means  of  self-justification,  can  it 
furnish  any  adequate  means  of  propitiation,  to  atone  for 
the  deficiency?"  "What  is  the  atonement  it  offers?" 
*'  And  what  is  the  nature  of  it  ?" 

The  voice  from  the  sacrificial  department  of  the  divine 
system  of  government,  now  apparently  calls  upon  the 
earthly  system  to  bring  forward  its  pretended  means  of 
atonement,  that  its  true  character  and  action  may  be  ex- 
hibited.! 

The  great  river  Euphrates,  Hke  the  great  mountain, 
(Rev.  8  :  8,)  is  great  only  in  the  estimation  of  the  "  inhab- 
iters  of  the  earth."     In  earthly  estimation,  too,  it  may  be 

*  The  horns  of  the  altar  represent  the  power  of  the  altar  to  save  those 
flying  to  it  for  refuge.  In  number  they  correspond  with  the  four  corners  of 
the  earth,  thus  holding  out  the  refuge  to  all  mankind,  (Exo.  29  :  12.)  They 
also  correspond  with  the  limbs  of  the  Lamb  offered,  and  thus  symbolize  the 
power  of  perfecting  the  sacrifice.     (Ps.  118  :  27.) 

+  §  216. 


SIXTH  trumpet;  second  ^vo.  161 

also,  as  the  name  imports,  very  good  or  pleasant  to  look 
upon.  As  the  prmcipal  river  of  the  Babylonish  Empire, 
it  is  an  opposite  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life  m  the 
midst  of  the  New  Jerusalem  ;  it  is  thus  a  symbol  of  the 
pretended  atonement  fm-nished  by  the  earthly  system  of 
works,  supposed  to  be  equivalent  to  any  deficiency  in  the 
principles  of  the  system  just  now  shown  to  be  insufficient 
for  justification. 

The  four  angels*  bound  in  this  great  river,  are  seeming- 
ly those  commissioned  to  wijustify  the  earth,  and  the 
trees,  and  the  sea.  (Rev.  7  :  2.)  They  were  then  appar- 
ently restrained  from  acting  on  the  rivers,  or  at  least  upon 
this  great  river  ;  now,  "  the  hour,  the  day,  the  month,  the 
year,"  has  come — the  crisis  is  reached,  when  this  element 
is  manifested  to  be  as  incapable  of  the  work  of  propitia- 
tion, as  the  whole  earthly  system  is  of  justification.  Now, 
accordingly,  the  four  angels  prepared  for  this  crisisf  are 
loosed,  and  perform  their  office  of  ujijustifying  this  great 
river— this  earthly  system  of  atonement ;  by  exhibiting 
the  legal  nature  of  the  prmciples  of  which  it  consists. 

The  manifestation  to  be  made  is  that  the  principles  of 
this  Euphratean  plan  of  atonement,  like  those  of  the  bot- 
tomless-pit system,  are  of  a  legal  character,  and  instead  of 
supplying  any  deficiency  in  the  earthly  principles  of  self- 
justification,  must  go  to  destroy  them  altogether,  wherever 
the  two  are  brought  into  action.  The  operation  here,  as  in 
the  preceding  case,  corresponds  with  that  assigned  to  the 

*  §§  219,  220. 

t  The  crisis  may  correspond  with  that  in  the  process  of  conversion,  when 
the  convicted  sinner  yet  "  ignorant  of  God's  righteousness,  and  going  about 
to  establish  his  own  righteousness,"  aims  at  performing  some  work  of  merit 
to  atone  for  his  past  transgressions. 


162  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

rider  of  the  red  horse,  "  to  take  peace  from  the  earth,  and 
that  they  should  kill  one  another,"  both  the  river  and  the 
pit  being  earthly  elements. 

This  operation  is  figuratively  represented  as  the  issu- 
ing from  the  river  of  an  immense  number  of  armed  horse- 
men, who  immediately  attack  and  slaughter  the  symboli- 
cal men  of  the  earth,  (men  in  the  third  sense.)  The  num- 
ber of  these  horsemen,  (two  hundred  millions,)  their 
weapons  of  offense,  and  their  mode  of  fighting,  are  amply 
sufficient  to  afford  the  assurance  that  nothing  literal  is  to 
be  here  understood.  Taken  together,  the  figure  repre- 
sents the  overwhelming  requisitions  of  the  broken  law. 
As  if,  on  the  prmciples  of  the  system  of  works,  the  law 
can  not  be  fulfilled ;  how  much  less,  on  the  same  princi- 
ples, can  any  delinquencies  in  that  fulfiUment  be  atoned 
for? 

In  both  of  these  operations  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb 
against  self-righteous  errors  is  exhibited,  and  the  way  for 
the  triumph  of  the  conqueror  is  preparing ;  although  the 
immediate  action  is  committed  to  the  riders  of  the  red  and 
black  horses,  the  one  with  his  sword,  the  other  with  his 
balances. 

The  appearance  of  this  immense  body  of  cavalry  is 
more  characteristic  of  offensive  warfare  than  that  of  the 
locust-scorpions.*  The  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like 
unto  horses,  and  their  faces  as  the  faces  of  men;  but 
here,  there  are  both  men  and  horses ;  and  both  are  armed, 
and  both  take  a  part  in  the  contest.  Instead  of  breast- 
plates of  iron,  the  riders  have  breast-plates  of  fire,  and 
jacinth,  and  brimstone.     The  horsemen  have  not  the  teeth 

*  §§  221-223. 


SIXTH  trumpet;  second^ wo.  163 

of  lions,  as  the  figure  would  not  be  compatible ;  but  the 
horses  have  the  heads  of  lions,  which  includes  the  teeth  ; 
and  instead  of  alarming  by  the  sound  of  their  onset,  the 
fire,  and  smoke,  and  sulphur,  out  of  the  mouths  of  the 
horses,  are  instruments  of  slaughter.  Horses,  as  we  have 
before  noticed,  symbolize  power  ;  the  riders  being  figures 
of  the  mind  that  directs  that  power.  The  purpose  and 
the  power  of  these  legal  elements  are  represented  as  con- 
stituting one  agent. 

Here  there  is  no  instruction  not  to  kill,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, the  power  both  to  kill  or  slay  and  to  mijustify^  or 
hurt,  is  exercised.  The  killing  is  executed  by  the  fire,  the 
smoke,  and  the  sulphur  ;  the  unjustifying  is  performed  by 
the  tails  of  the  horses  ;  for  these  "tails  were  like  serpents 
and  had  heads,"  (including,  of  course  the  serpent's  sting.)* 

Fire  being  a  figure  of  the  revealed  word  in  its  strictest 
sense,  (the  mind  of  the  spirit,  of  which  the  letter  is  only 
the  external  mdication,)  the  action  of  this  fire  is  the  effi- 
cient agent  in  the  destruction  of  the  principles  here  figu- 
ratively spoken  of  as  men,  (inhabiters  of  the  earth;)  the 
sulphur  represents  the  element  of  perpetuity,  and  the 
smoke  indicates  the  fiery  trial  to  which  the  principles  act- 
ed upon  are  subjected,  as  in  the  furnace  of  the  assayist. 
The  heads  of  lions,  including  the  teeth,  indicate  the  judi- 
cial character  of  the  whole  operation.f 

The  tails  of  the  horses,  like  the  tails  of  the  locusts,  sym- 

*  Both  head  and  sting,  however,  depend  instnuraentally  upon  the  tail ; 
as  the  action  of  the  whole  system  depends  upon  a  false  construction  of  the 
revealed  word. 

t  So  in  the  giving  of  the  law  from  Mount  Sinai,  the  smoke  ascended  as 
the  smoke  of  a  furnace.  The  action  of  the  locust-scorpion  is  represented 
as  of  short  duration  ;  that  of  the  serpent-tailed  horse  is  endless. 


164  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

bolize  that  construction  of  the  written  word  of  revelation, 
which  gives  it  the  character  of  a  minister  of  the  law,  rath- 
er than  of  a  messenger  of  glad  tidings.  The  tails  are  con- 
sequently like  unto  serpents,  having  the  serpent's  sting, 
and  acting  the  part  of  legal  accusers.  As  such  they  wijus- 
tify  these  earthly  principles  or  pretensions  of  self-propi- 
tiation; showing  their  entire  inadequacy  to  meet  the 
requisitions  of  th  e  broken  law.  Under  the  Gospel  dispensa- 
tion, the  serpent's  head  has  been  crushed ;  the  law  being 
fulfilled  by  Christ,  the  sting  of  the  serpent  is  no  more. 
But  the  earthly  system,  or  plan  of  atonement  by  works, 
virtually  sets  aside  the  Gospel  dispensation,  and  conse- 
queiijtly  here  the  law  is  contemplated  as  in  full  force ;  and 
the  head  of  the  serpent,  in  this  view,  never  having  been 
crushed,  the  sting  possesses  all  its  original  power. 

Although  principles  of  doctrine  are  only  alluded  to 
under  these  figures,  the  analogy  is  plain,  that  such  is  the 
folly  of  every  pretension  of  man,  either  to  justify  himself 
in  the  sight  of  God,  or  to  atone  for  his  transgressions  of 
the  law,  by  any  works  or  merits  of  his  own. 

The  development  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  is  a  xoo  to  such 
of  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  (prmciples,)  as  depend  upon 
the  bottomless-pit  system ;  that  of  this  sixth  trumpet  is  a 
wo^  to  those  that  depend  upon  the  atoning  power  of  their 
great  river  Euphrates.  From  the  conclusion  of  the  account 
of  these  two  trials  or  tests,t  it  appears  that,  besides  the 
principles  tried,  there  are  others  belonging  to  this  earth- 
ly system,  termed  the  rest  of  the  men,  which  remain  un- 

*  §  224. 

t  Both  of  these  are  mysteries  of  Death  and  Hell  unlocked^  or  developed, 
by  the  Iceys  before  referred  to. 


SIXTH  trumpet;  second  wo.  165 

changed,  figuratively,  "  which  repented  not,"  not  having 
changed  their  views.  These  are  represented  as  idolaters, 
worshipping  demons  and  idols  of  different  materials,  (the 
works  of  their  OTra  hands,)  apparently  symboHcal  of  princi- 
ples which  set  up  works  or  meritorious  actions  of  men  as 
the  means  of  their  salvation ;  thereby  substituting  such 
means  in  the  place  of  their  Saviour  God.  As  that  which 
saves  a  man,  or  which  justifies  him  is  his  saviour,  to  which 
alone  he  is  to  be  thankful  for  eternal  life.  If  this  be  his  own 
righteousness  or  merit,  or  any  meritorious  act  of  his  own, 
(the  work  of  his  own  hands,)  such  he  must  regard  as  his 
God :  an  idolatry  more  culpable  than  that  of  the  ignorant 
savage,  who  worships  the  wooden  image  of  his  own 
making.* 

The  murders,  sorceries,  (pharmacies,)  fornications,  and 
thefts,  of  this  same  "rest  of  the  men,"  (earthly  principles,) 
are  capable  of  a  hke  construction ;  murder,  or  blood  guilti- 
ness, is  chargeable  upon  those,  who  shed  the  blood  of  the 
holy  witnesses  imder  the  altar  ;  such  are  principles  founded 
upon  the  letter  of  revelation,  separated  from  the  spirit, 
which  is  its  hlood^  or  life.  Sorceries,  or  as  the  Greek  signi- 
fies, 'pharmacies^  are  false  remedies  for  the  disease  of  sin  ; 
chargeable  upon  principles,  setting  up  any  other  remedy, 
than  that  of  the  merits  of  Christ;  so  principles,  main- 
taining any  other  mode  of  eternal  happiness,  than  that  of 
a  union  with  Christ,  are  figuratively  chargeable  with 
fornications ;  as  those  which  would  deprive  the  same  di- 
vine Redeemer  of  any  part  of  the  glory,  and  praise,  and 
gratitude,  and  service,  due  him  in  return  for  his  work  of 

*  §§  225,  226. 


166  >'  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

salvation,  are  thieves  and  robbers ;  of  which  we  have  a 
typical  allusion  in  one  of  the  prophets.     (Mai.  3  :  8,  9.) 


Scene:  Heaven. 

In  the  preceding  exhibitions,  resulting  from  the  sound- 
ing of  the  first  five  trumpets,  the  scene  is  laid  on  the  earth. 
We  are  now  to  witness  a  scene,  corresponding  with  an 
exhibition  of  the  councils  in  heaven.  (Rev.  10  :  1-11.) 
Our  attention,  therefore,  to  the  tissue  of  the  dramatic 
action  on  earth,  is  to  be  for  a  time  suspended.  The  stand- 
point of  the  apostle,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  is  throughout 
in  heaven,  (Rev.  4:1,)  where  he  sees  at  one  time  what  is 
resolved  upon  above ;  while  he  witnesses,  also,  from  the 
same  position,  what  is  done  below. 

Another  mighty  or  strong  angel  (see  Rev.  5  :  2)  comes 
down  from  heaven  clothed  with  a  cloud,  and  a  rainbow 
upon  his  head,  his  face  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as 
pillars  of  fire, — ^the  sun  of  righteousness  exhibited  in  the 
progressive  work  of  trial.  Comparing  this  description 
with  that  given  of  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man, 
(Rev.  1  :  15,)  we  can  not  but  consider  this  angel  a  persona- 
tion of  Christ  himself.  The  rainbow  likewise  indicating 
his  near  connection,  as  the  messenger  of  the  covenant, 
(Mai.  3:1,)  with  Him  who  sat  upon  the  throne.  Rev. 
4:3;  while  this  boio  identifies  him  also  with  the  rider 
of  the  white  horse,  going  forth  as  a  conqueror  to 
conquer.  His  appearance  in  a  cloud  corresponds  with  the 
symbolical  description  of  the  conmig  of  our  Lord,  at  the 
commencement  of  the  vision,  (Rev.  1:7;)  whUe  the  whole 


TIME   NO   LONGER.  -.  16 7 

tenor  of  his  action  and  language,  indicates  the  character, 
not  merely  of  a  messenger,  but  of  the  Sovereign  himself.* 

The  little  book  in  the  hand  of  this  angel,  may  be  sup- 
posed to  correspond  in  substance  with  the  New  Testa- 
mant  revelation,  (the  new  covenant.)  The  position  of 
his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  (the  element  of  judicial  wrath,) 
and  of  his  left  foot  upon  the  land,  or  system  of  justifica- 
tion by  works,  exhibits  his  sovereign  control  over  both. 
His  voice  as  the  roar  of  a  lion,  while  it  speaks  him  to 
be  the  Uon  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  symbolizes  the  sovereign 
power  of  his  voice  over  all  other  voices. 

The  Son  of  God,  veiled  m  the  character  of  an  angel,  as 
in  a  cloud,  is  now  about  to  develop  the  mystery  of  the 
new  covenant.f  The  legal  covenant,  soon  to  be  super- 
seded, as  if  alarmed  at  the  approaching  termination  of  its 
power,  is  about  to  bring  forward  all  its  claims ;  its  seven 
thunders — all  the  thunders  of  Sinai  utter  their  last  pro- 
test. These  voices,  however,  are  no  longer  to  be  re- 
garded— they  are  sUenced  by  that  of  divine  sovereignty. 

The  apostle  is  not  even  permitted  to  write  them,  or  to 
put  them  on  record — the  protest  is  to  be  sealed  up  and 
laid  aside. 

The  Uttle  book  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  is  an  oj)en  book. 
It  is  a  revelation — open  for  investigation,  as  is  the  whole 
mystery  of  the  divine  will  in  the  matter  of  man's  redemp- 
tion. The  Lamb  has  opened  all  the  seals  of  the  sealed 
book  ;  Christ  himself  being  virtually  the  development  of 
the  mystery  of  God.  (Col.  2  :  2.)  The  law  and  the  pro- 
phets were  until  John,  (the  preaching  of  the  latter  inclu- 

"  ^  227.  +  ?§  228,229. 


168  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

sive ;)  since  that,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  preached.     Such 
is  the  crisis  here. 

The  oath  of  the  angel  is  a  farther  evidence  of  his  per- 
sonification of  Him,  who,  since  he  could  swear  by  no 
greater,  sware  by  himself.  (Heb.  6  :  13.)  But  the  oath 
itself  has  also  a  peculiar  bearing  upon  the  subsequent 
representations.  The  angel  swears  that  "  there  shall  he 
time  no  longer^'''^  by  which  we  understand  that  tune,  in  a 
literal  sense,  is  not  to  be  taken  into  consideration  in  the 
matter  of  the  coming  revelation ;  for  we  find,  immediately 
after  that  solemn  declaration,  that  time  shall  he  no  longer^ 
several  periods  of  time  mentioned,  all,  however,  resolva- 
ble into  one  and  the  same  term.  The  solemnity  of  the 
asseveration  seems  necessary  to  fix  our  attention  upon  this 
point ;  as  otherwise  we  may  lose  sight  of  the  real  object 
of  this  vision,  in  our  endeavors  to  know  times  and  sea- 
sons, which  are  to  be  known  only  to  the  Ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse. (Acts  1  :  v.)  But  there  is  yet  another  important 
feature  figuratively  expressed  in  this  declaration,  namely, 
that  the  matter  contained  in  the  sounding  of  the  seventh 
trumpet,  completes  the  development  of  the  mystery  of 
God;  corresponding  with  all  that  has  been  predicted  by  the 
prophets.  This  completion,  consists  as  we  aj)prehend,  in 
that  development  of  divine  sovereignty,  in  which,  as  it  is 
said,  (Rev.  11  :  15,)  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become 
the  kingdom  of  om-  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ,  that  He 
(God  in  Christ)  may  be  manifested  to  reign  God  over  all.f 

*  §§  230-232. 

t  Systems  of  faith  or  doctrine  are  here  spoken  of  as  kingdoms ;  these 
systems  being  about  to  be  manifested  as  subservient  to  the  overruling  prin- 
ciple or  system  of  divine  sovereignty. 


THE   LITTLE    BOOK.  169 

After  hearing  the  declaration*  above  mentioned,  the 
apostle  is  directed  to  take  the  httle  book  from  the  hand  ox 
this  mighty  angel ;  which  he  does,  and  receives  with  it  the 
further  direction  to  eat  it  up ;  admonishing  him  at  the 
same  time  of  its  ejBfect,  which  corresponds,  as  he  finds,  with 
his  experience  ;  being  in  his  mouth  sweet  as  honey ^  while 
it  made  his  helly  hitter. 

This  effect  apparently  indicates  the  double  sense  of  the 
revelation  symbolized  by  the  book.  The  angel  is  a  per- 
sonification of  the  Son  of  God ;  the  book  is  a  revelation 
committed  by  Jesus  Christ  to  this  apostle.  It  may  refer  to 
all  that  John  has  written,  or  it  may  refer  to  this  vision  alone ; 
in  either  case  there  is  a  Hteral  and  a  spiritual  sense  in  it,  as 
our  Lord  said  of  his  own  teaching.  The  Spirit,  quick- 
eneth,  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing,  (John.  6  :  63,)  and  Paul, 
"  The  letter  killeth,  the  spirit  giveth  life,"  (2  Cor.  3  :  6.) 
The  words  are  spirit;  they  are  to  be  understood  in  a  spirit- 
ual sense  ;  under  this  construction,  we  suppose  the  helly  to 
represent  here,  the  literal  or  carnal  sense — that  which 
Paul  terms  the  natural  man^  (1  Cor.  2:14,)  to  whom  the 
things  of  the  spirit  of  God  are  fooUshness.  The  mouth, 
as  being  a  part  of  the  head,  or  seat  of  understanding,  is 
equivalent  here  to  the  spii'itual  mind  by  which  spiritual 
things  are  discerned  or  expressed.     (1  Cor.  2  :  14.) 

The  distinction  thus  made  is  the  more  important  as  the 
apostle  is  told  after  eating  the  book  that  he  is  to  prophesy 
again,  or  over  again,  concerning^  many  peoples,  and  nations, 
and  tongues,  and  kings.     That  is,  concerning  these  ele- 

*  §§  233,  234. 

+  The  Greek  preposition  translated  here  in  our  common  version,  before, 
properly  signifies,  concerning,  iipon,  or  about. 


IVO  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

ments,  apocalyptically  so  called,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sub 
sequent  portion  of  the  vision,  (Rev.  11  :  9  ;)  nations  or 
Gentiles,  etc.,  being  figures  correspondmg  with  that  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,  (Rev.  16:  14;  19:18; 
20  :  8,)  although  differhig  in  a  certain  respect. 

The  unportance  of  the  construction  put  upon  the  decla- 
ration,." that  time  shall  be  no  longer,"  will  be  seen  by  the 
use  we  make  of  the  several  terms  of  time  subsequently 
introduced  in  the  revelation.  That  the  reference  is  to  these, 
appears  the  more  probable  as  the  eating  of  the  httle  book 
seems  to  be  that  which  quahfies  the  apostle  for  j^roceeding 
with  the  remaining  j^ortion  of  his  relation,  the  matter  con- 
sisting, in  fact,  of  the  contents  of  the  little  book.  (See 
Ezekiel  3  :  1-4.)  For  this  reason  it  is  the  more  important 
to  keep  in  view  the  distinction  between  the  spiritual  and 
literal  or  carnal  senses — ^the  mind  of  the  spirit  and  the 
letter ;  understanding  by  the  first,  the  hidden  or  mystic 
sense,' bearing  a  certam  analogy  with  the  literal  figure  or 
expression.* 

Note.— The  difference  between  bitter  and  sweet  corresponds  with  the  differ- 
ence between  the  law  and  the  Gospel.  Certain  teachers  spoken  of  as  "  they 
of  the  circumcision"  are  said  to  be  "  slow  bellies,"  (Titus  1  :  12,)  as  the  Jews 
were  said  to  be  sloio  of  heart.  The  language  of  revelation,  understood  in 
that  sense  which  places  the  disciple  under  the  law,  is  bitter ;  when  un- 
derstood in  that  sense  which  announces  a  free  salvation,  it  is  sweet,  "  The 
letter  killeth,  the  spirit  giveth  life." 

Scene :  the  Eaeth  : 

THE  TEMPLE  OP  GOD,  AND  THE  COURT  OF  THE  TEMPLE 
IN  VIEW. 

The  dramatic  series  or  tissue  of  the  earthly  portion  of 
the  exhibition,  is  now  (Rev.  11  ;  1)  resumed.     The  scene 

"-  §  285. 


GENTILE  POWER.  171 

presented  is  that  of  the  temple  of  God,  the  altar,  and  the 
worshippers  within ;  together  with  the  exterior  of  the 
temple,  the  court  around  and  about  it.  The  temple, 
etc.,  are  such  in  a  spiritual  or  analogical  sense,  al- 
though the  inhabiters  of  the  earth  are  not  supposed  to  per- 
ceive it  hi  that  sense.  The  circumstances  and  transactions 
about  to  be  presented,  may  be  considered  coincident  with 
those  before  related.  The  same  warfare  (the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb)  is  being  carried  on ;  different  particulars  being 
exhibited  of  the  same  contest.  The  same  conqueror  is 
operating ;  employing  different  troops  for  different  ser- 
vices, or  for  assailing  different  points  of  the  enemies'  strong- 
hold. 

The  locust-scorpion  eo7'ps  was  employed  in  overcoming 
the  pretensions  of  man's  dependence  upon  his  own  works 
for  justification ;  and  the  Euphratean  cavalry  assail  the 
pretensions  of  man's  ability  to  atone  for  his  transgressions 
by  some  propitiatory  act  of  his  own.  While,  as  we  shall 
see,  the  court  of  the  temple  and  the  Holy  City  are  in 
possession  of  the  Gentiles ;  and  the  two  witnesses  are  pro- 
phesying in  sack-cloth.  Indeed,  these  last  circumstances, 
together  with  the  suffering  of  the  souls  under  the  altar, 
may  be  said  to  have  caused  the  necessity  of  the  warlike 
measures  previously  represented :  as  the  misconstruction 
of  revelation,  by  shutting  out  a  knowledge  of  the  divine 
purpose  of  grace,  renders  it  necessary  to  employ  legal 
principles  to  overcome  the  elements  of  self-righteous  and 
self-atoning  pretensions.  So  in  the  assault  of  Gideon  upon 
the  Midianites,  every  man's  sword  in  the  enemies'  host 
was  against  his  fellow. 

The   scene  before   us  has  not  so  much  of  a  military 


1Y2  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

character,  but  it  may  be  compared  to  a  practice  in  ancient 
warfare  of  employing  a  herald  to  set  forth  to  the  inhabit- 
ants of  a  place  besieged,  the  evils  they  are  about  to  incur 
by  persisting  in  their  hostiUty.  (Kings  18  :  35.)  Li  the 
present  case,  it  is  with  the  elements  of  the  earthly  system 
that  the  expostulation  of  the  two  heralds  is  employed, 
while  it  is  the  Beast  from  the  bottomless  pit  that  deprives 
these  heralds,  at  a  certain  crisis,  of  the  influence  they 
might  otherwise  exercise. 

As  the  present  is  a  temple  and  altar-scene,  the  matter 
analogous  to  it  must  be  something  relating  to  the  worship 
of  God,  and  the  divine  propitiatory  oflering  involved  in 
that  worship. 

The  temple  is  a  symbol  of  Christ  himself;  as  it  is  only 
in  him  that  the  disciple  can  worship  or  serve  God  accept- 
ably. (Rev.  Y  :  15.)  The  altar  represents,  as  already 
suggested,  the  will^  purpose,  or  mind  of  God ;  that  upon 
which  the  sacrifice  is  offered ;  God's  purpose,  or  plan  of 
salvation,  requiring  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  his  Son. 
(Heb.  10  :  9.) 

*  A  reed  or  rod  is  given  to  the  apostle  with  directions  to 
measure  the  temple,  and  the  altar,  and  the  worshij)pers, 
(the  elements  of  true  worship.)  As  the  apostle  does  not 
appear  to  have  undertaken  the  task,  the  inference  seems  to 
be,  that  these  elements  are  immeasurable ;  as  in  the  vision 
of  the  prophet,  (Zech.  2  :  1-5,)  and  as  according  to  Paul 
the  length,  and  breadth,  and  depth,  and  heighth  of  the 
love  of  God  in  Christ  are  passing  knowledge.  (Eph. 
3  :  18,  19.)  t 

The  inner  portion  of  the  temple  corresponds,  as  a  sym- 

*  §§  236-238.  t  §§  239,  240. 


GENTILE  POWER.  1^3 

bol,  with  the  spuit  of  all  that  is  revealed  in  relation  to  the 
true  worship  of  God.  The  outer  court,  on  the  contrary, 
represents  the  letter  of  revelation  in  the  same  particular. 
The  Gentiles  (nations)  being  opposites  of  those  termed  by 
Paul,  Jews  inwardly^  we  take  them  to  be  principles  of 
doctrine,  adhering  to  the  letter  or  carnal  sense  of  the 
written  word.  These,  having  possession  of  the  outer 
court,  bar  the  access  to  the  inner  portion  of  the  temple. 
As  an  adhesion  to  the  literal  or  carnal  sense  of  Scripture 
prevents  a  just  view  of  its  inner  meaning;  whether  in 
reference  to  the  true  worship  of  God,  or  to  a  right  under- 
standing of  his  plan  of  salvation. 

The  Holy  City,  (the  New  Jerusalem,  as  we  afterwards 
find  it,)  is  a  figure  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  by 
grace;  wliich  purpose  can  not  be  justly  discerned  without 
attending  to  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  written  word; 
and  this  can  not  be  discerned,  so  long  as  the  letter  only 
of  revelation  is  adhered  to ;  figuratively,  so  long  as  the 
Holy  City  is  trodden  under  foot  of  the  Gentiles.* 

We  perceive  here  the  reason  why  the  two  witnesses, 
spoken  of  in  this  connection,  are  prophesying  in  sackcloth. 
Whether  we  consider  them  the  two  dispensations,  (their 
testimony  being  contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments,) or  suppose  them  to  represent  the  law  and  the  proph- 
ets, (Rom.  3  :  21,)  their  testimony  (as  in  sackcloth)  affords 
reason  to  mourn,  from  that  misconstruction  of  the  re- 
vealed word  which  prevents  a  right  understanding  of  God's 
plan  of  salvation,  as  well  as  the  appointed  way  of  access 
to  the  throne  of  grace.  The  witnesses  prophesy  in  sach- 
cloth^  because  the  Holy  City  is  in  possession  of  the  Gen- 

*  §§  241-243. 


174  THE   SEALED  BOOK. 

tiles;  and  because  the  apj^roach  to  the  inner  temple  is 
barred  by  the  same  obstructing  power.  "We  may  suppose 
besides,  that  on  account  of  this  captive  position  of  the  city 
and  temple,  the  witnesses  themselves  can  not  give  that  tes- 
timony which  the  true  sense  of  revelation  would  afford. 
Thus,  as  prophets,  instead  of  annoimcing  glad  tidings  of 
salvation,  or  being  so^  understood ;  as  the  letter  killeth, 
they  appear  to  be  preachers  only  of  the  law ;  or  like  him, 
who  came  fi'om  the  wilderness  with  a  raiment  of  camel's 
hair,  (sackcloth,)  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  they  can 
preach  only  the  baptism  of  repentance.  Their  language 
is  so  understood,  perhaps,  although  their  testimony  may 
be  that  of  the  Gospel.  So,  to  those  who  do  not  discern  in 
divine  revelation,  an  exhibition  of  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ,  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
appears  a  prophesying  in  sackcloth.  The  Holy  City  was 
to  be  in  possession  of  the  Gentiles  forty-two  months,* 
equal  to  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days ;  the  term  assign- 
ed for  the  j)rophesying  of  the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth. 
Time  literally  being  no  more  a  subject  of  consideration, 
(Rev.  11  :  9,)  these  figurative  tenns  of  duration  are  to  be 
viewed  only  as  symbolical  equivalents ;  showing  a  parity 
of  circumstance,  or  coincidence  of  action,  in  the  various 
subjects  to  which  these  periods  (all  resolvable  into  the  same 
time  or  number  of  days)  are  assigned.  As,  in  the  pre- 
sent instance,  so  long  as  the  Holy  City  is  in  the  possession 
of,  or  trodden  by  the  Gentiles,  so  long  these  witnesses 
prophesy  in  sackcloth. 
As  ohvef  trees,  we  suppose  the  two  witnesses  to  be 

*  §  240.  t  §§  244,  245. 


WITNESSES   IN   SACKCLOTH.  175 

messengers  of  peace*  iii  the  sight  and  purpose  of  God ; 
before  whom  they  are  also  two  candlesticks,  or  exponents 
of  his  plan  of  salvation;  but  being  clothed  in  sackcloth,  (a 
li'gal  construction  put  on  their  prophesying,)  they  do 
not  appear  to  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  to  be  what 
they  really  are.  As  a  part  of  the  second  wo^  their  proph- 
esying corresponds  with  the  action  of  the  locust-scorpions, 
and  of  the  Euphratean  cavalry  ;  equivalent  to  convincing 
the  world  of  sin.  They  exhibit  the  real  action  of  the  law 
in  destroying  all  the  pretensions  of  the  earthly  system. 
Such  we  suppose  to  be  the  character  of  the^re  from  their 
mouths,  in  destroying  the  elements  of  self-justification  with 
which  they  have  to  contend. 

The  power  of  these  witnesses  to  shut  heaven,f  that  it 
rain  not,  consists  in  their  withholding  any  revelation  of  the 
heavenly  provision  of  atonement.  Turning  the  waters  (of 
the  earth)  into  blood,  their  prophesying  shows  the  legal 
tendency  of  all  earthly  plans  of  atonement,  to  bring  the 
law  into  action  in  its  strictest  judicial  sense.  Their  smit- 
ing the  earth  with  plagues  symbolizes  the  effect  of  their 
prophesying,  as  in  the  administration  of  the  tests  of  the 
same  law  to  the  principles  of  self-justification. 

Notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  powers  given  to 
these  two  witnesses,  when  they  have  finished  their  testi- 
mony, in  sackcloth^  the  Beast  from  the  bottomless  pit 
overcomes  and  Idlls  them.J  The  finishing  alluded  to, 
may  correspond  as  a  crisis  with  the  termination  of  the 
legal  dispensation. 

As  we  may  say  that  although  the  law  and  the  prophets, 

*  Peace  in  the  Gospel  sense  of  the  term, 
t  §§  246,  247.  X  %  248. 


176  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

in  fact,  preached  or  prophesied  the  Gospel,  they  did  it 
under  a  legal  construction,  till  the  veil  was  rent  by  the 
consummation  of  the  vicarious  work  of  Christ ;  wherever 
and  whenever  the  law  and  the  prophets  are  understood 
in  this  legal  sense,  there  and  then  the  two  witnesses  are 
prophesying  in  sackcloth.  In  this  garb,  or  as  we  may  say, 
under  this  disadvantage,  the  Beast,  or  leading  principle 
of  the  bottomless-j)it  system,  is  able  to  overcome  and  to 
kill  them ;  separating  the  letter  from  the  spirit  of  their 
prophesying,  and  keeping  the  latter  out  of  sight.*  For 
we  may  suppose  the  overcoming  and  the  killing  of  these 
witnesses  to  be  the  means  by  which  their  testimony  is 
finished ;  consequently  they  are  only  overcome  because 
they  are  prophesying  in  sackcloth.  As  we  may  say,  the 
principle  of  self-justification,  however  baseless  it  may  be, 
will  triumph  over  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  wherever 
that  Gospel  is  imperfectly  represented,  or  is  under  the 
disadvantage  of  a  legal  construction — which  construction 
necessarily  follows  a  substitution  of  the  letter  of  revelation 
for  the  spirit. 

The  two  prophets  being  dead,  their  bodies  lie  in  the 
streets  of  the  great  cityf  three  days  and  a  half  Days, 
here  are  put  for  years,  to  be  in  keeping  with  the  remain- 
der of  the  figure.  A  longer  term  than  this  for  a  dead 
human  body  to  be  in  the  street,  would  involve  the  idea  of 
corruption,  which  is  not  in  this  case  admissible.     These 

*  The  possession  of  the  city  and  court  of  the  temple  by  the  Gentiles,  may 
be  both  cause  and  effect  of  the  prophesying  in  sackcloth,  and  consequently 
of  the  inability  of  the  witnesses  to  withstand  the  power  of  Apollyon,  foi' 
such  we  suppose  the  Beast  to  be. 

t  §§  249,  250. 


WITNESSES   IN   SACKCLOTH.  1*77 

symbolical  three  and  a  half  days,  are  therefore  equiva- 
lent to  forty-two  months  or  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days,  showing  that  these  terms  figuratively  synchronise — 
indicating  a  parity  of  circumstance.  The  dead  bodies  of 
the  witnesses  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  corresponding 
as  a  figure  in  kind,  though  not  in  degree,  with  their 
prophesying  in  sackcloth  elsewhere.* 

The  dead  bodiesf  of  the  witnesses  represent  the  letter 
of  their  testimony  only,  whereas  the  prophesying  in  sack- 
cloth represents  their  testimony  under  a  legal  construc- 
tion. So  divine  revelation  may  be  misconstrued  by  one 
class  of  readers  or  hearers,  who  admit  its  spirit  partially  ; 
while,  in  the  view  of  another  class,  as  far  as  the  Gospel 
meaning  is  concerned,  it  is  but  a  body  without  the  spirit. 
This  last  condition  is  that  most  favorable  to  the  principles 
figm-atively  spoken  of  as  "they  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth."  For  which  reason  they  are  represented  as  re- 
joicing and  making  merry  over  the  bodies.  Principles  of 
self-justification  are  thus  supposed,  figuratively,  to  rejoice 
over  an  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  in  which  the 
sense  of  the  spirit  is  entirely  banished  from  consideration. 
The  reason  given  for  this  rejoicing  is,  that  the  two  proph- 
ets, notwithstanding  the  disadvantage  of  the  sackcloth 
covering,  tortured  (tried  as  on  the  rack)  these  symbolical 
principles  of  justification  by  works,  (the  earthly  platform.) 

But  there  is  another  class  of  spectators,  who  apparently 
manifest  a  different  interest  in  these  dead  bodies,  which  the 

*  The  two  conditions  are  coincident,  the  prophesying  in  sackcloth,  and 
the  state  of  the  dead  bodies,  (the  letter  without  the  spirit,)  being  different 
illustrations  of  the  same  view. 

t  §  248. 


178  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

dwellers  of  the  earth,  apparently,  would  gladly  have  remov- 
ed out  of  sight.  These  are  they  of  "  the  people,  kindreds, 
and  tongues,  and  nations ;"  (the  pleonasm  of  the  expression 
indicating  its  symbolical  character.)  These  will  not  suffer 
the  dead  bodies  to  be  buried.  They  appear  to  be  such  as  are 
represented  elsewhere  as  waiting  to  see  whereof  these  things 
would  come;  somewhat  like  those  disciples  of  our  Lord,  who 
after  his  crucifixion  still  thought  that  it  was  he  who  was  to 
have  redeemed  Israel  in  a  literal  sense.  The  spectators  of 
this  class  appear  to  resemble  persons  not  understanding  the 
spirit  of  revelation  but  cherishing  the  letter  of  it,  with  the 
persuasion  that  there  must  be  a  spirit-meaning  yet  to  be 
revealed.  The  difference  seems  to  be  essentially  that 
"  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth"  (principles  of  self-justifica- 
tion) are  incorrigible.  They  are  not  be  changed  exce|)t 
by  the  changing  of  the  earth,  or  earthly  system  upon 
which  they  rest.  (Rev.  21  :  1.)  The  better  class*  cor- 
responds with  that  of  principles  resting  upon  the  literal  con- 
struction, and  needing  only  the  addition  of  the  spiritual  un- 
derstanding to  correct  their  views.  We  shall  have  occasion 
to  notice  this  distinction  hereafter  ;f  meantime  we  may 
remark  that  the  figurative  appellation  of  "the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth,"  or  "  inhabitants  of  the  earth,"  is  not  em- 
ployed after  the  account  of  the  fall  of  Babylon,  although 
they  may  be  supposed  to  be  enumerated  in  the  armies  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  defeated  and  destroyed  by  the 
sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse. 
(Rev.  19  :  18-21.)     (See  Appendix  F.) 

The  bodies  of  the  witnesses  are  said  to  he  "  in  the  street 
of  the  great   city,  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt  ; 

*  §S  251,  252.  t  See  Note  on  Gentllea  in  Appendix. 


WITNESSES    IN    SACKCLOTH.  179 

where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified  ;"*  according  to  these 
ai^pellations,  this  city  is  an  opposite  of  the  Holy  City ;  we 
think  it  will  prove  to  be  the  same  as  Babylon.  It  is  called 
great  ironically,  because  it  is  great  in  the  estimation  of 
the  dwellers  upon  the  earth.  As  Nebuchadnezzar  said  of 
the  capital  of  his  empire,  "Is  not  this  great  Babylon 
that  I  have  built  ?» 

The  city  represents  a  system  of  faith — a  doctrinal  mys- 
tery. The  three  appellations  given  to  it  indicate  certain 
doctrinal  features  of  the  system,  bearing  an  analogy  with 
the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  cities  enumerated. 
Sodom  was  a  city  of  impurity,  and  as  such  is  a  figure  of 
the  mixed  motives  and  principles  of  all  self-righteous 
views :  Egypt  was  a  land  of  bondage,  symbolizing  the 
legal  features  of  the  system  alluded  to;  and  the  city 
where  our  Lord  was  crucified,  was  a  city  of  Pharisaical 
self-justification,  as  weU  of  literal  interpretation.  All 
these  features  enter  into  the  composition  of  the  system 
afterwards  represented  as  the  mother  of  harlots,  and 
abominations  of  the  earth  ;  Babylon,  as  the  name  imports, 
being  a  system  of  confused  elements.  It  is  in  the  midst 
(street)  of  such  a  confused  mixture  of  doctrinal  principles 
that  the  letter  of  divine  revelation  may  be  found  without 
its  spu'it  or  spirit-sense,  (its  analogical  sense.)  f 

The  letter  of  revelation,  Uke  these  dead  bodies,J  waits 
only  the  reiinion  of  this  spirit-sense  (its  right  interpreta- 

*  §§  249-250.  t  §§  251,  252. 

X  The  terms  of  time  being  equivalents,  the  events  connected  with  them  are 
not  successive,  but  coincident,  as  different  figures  of  the  same  thing,  ter- 
minating also  coincidently ;  the  witnesses  are  not  killed  till  the  1260  days 
expire.    Nor  are  they  resuscitated  till  the  power  of  the  Beast  is  ended. 


180  THE    SEALED    BOOK. 

tion)  to  manifest  its  accordance  with  a  just  view  of  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation,  a  manifestation  figm'atively  de- 
scribed as  a  -restoration  to  life  of  the  two  prophets,  and 
their  call  and  ascension  up  into  heaven  in  a  symbolical 
cloud.  This  manifestation  of  the  true  meaning  of  the 
written  word,  whether  we  apply  it  to  the  law  and  the 
prophets,  or  to  the  two  dispensations,  necessarily  produces 
a  great  commotion*  in  the  earthly  system  or  platform  of 
justification  by  works  ;  figuratively  an  earthquake  or  shak- 
ing attended  by  the  fall  of  a  tenth  of  the  city,  and  the 
killing  of  (according  to  the  Greek)  seven  thousand  names 
of  men. 

The  scene  we  have  just  witnessed  is  a  temple  scene. 
The  tenth,  or  tithe^  of  the  great  city,  we  suppose  has 
reference  to  that  feature  of  the  system  which  relates 
to  the  worship  of  God ;  as  such  it  symbohzes  an  opposite 
of  the  true  principles  upon  which  God  is  to  be  worshipped. 
The  tithe  figure  being  an  opposite  of  the  immeasurable 
temple  of  God.     (Rev.  11  ;  1.) 

Among  the  errors  of  the  earthly  system  of  works,  we 
may  suppose  that  of  the  service  or  worship  of  God  upon 
mercenary  principles  to  be  perhaps  the  most  prominent, 
as  it  appears  by  what  is  said  of  the  self-justifying  Phari- 
sees, (Luke  11  :  42,)  that  they  considered  the  payment 
of  tithes,  in  which  they  were  very  precise,  the  establish- 
ment of  a  merit  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  a  work  of  will- wor- 
ship for  which  they  were  entitled  to  a  reward  or  compen- 
sation. The  tithe  of  the  city  is  thus  employed,  seemingly, 
as  a  figure  of  this  error  of  will-worship  generally,  and  it 

*  §§   253-255. 


WITNESSES    IN   SACKCLOTH.  181 

is  by  the  development  of  the  spirit  of  revelation*  belong- 
ing to  the  letter  that  this  error  is  destroyed ;  figuratively, 
by  which  the  tenth  or  tithe  of  the  city  falls.  The  seven 
thousand  names  of  men  kiUed,  are  apparently  figures  of 
all  the  principles  belonging  to  this  characteristic  of  the 
tithing  element.  The  number  seven  symbolizing  the 
whole  of  the  subject  under  treatment,  and  the  thousands 
(or  decimals)  representing  an  indefinite  nmnber,  in  keep- 
ing with  the  figure  or  symbol  employed. 

The.  remnant^  or  rest,  it  is  said,  were  affrighted,  and 
gave  glory  to  God ;  affrighted,  we  may  suppose,  but  not 
converted,  and  giving  glory  to  God  without  recognizing 
the  glory  due  to  the  Lamb.  As  it  is  said  of  the  specta- 
tors of  a  certain  miracle  performed  by  Jesus  Christ,  "  great 
fear  came  upon  all,  and  they  glorified  God,"  without,  how- 
ever, recognizing  him  who  had  performed  the  miracle,  even 
in  the  character  of  their  expected  Messiah,  (the  Lamb  of 
God.) 

This  remnant  we  accordingly  suppose  to  be  put  for  all 
of  the  other  principles  of  the  earthly  system ;  being  pro- 
oably  the  same  remnant  that  is  said  (Rev.  9  :  20)  not  to 
have  repented  of  the  works  of  their  hands;  the  same 
remnant  afterwards  represented  as  perishing  by  the  sword 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse.  Their 
end,  however,  at  present  is  not  yet  revealed. 

f  Here  we  have  the  conclusion  of  the  second  wo,  and  of 

*  Represented  as  the  restoration  of  the  spirit  of  life  to  the  two  prophets. 
This  crisis,  we  may  presume,  corresponds  with  that  of  the  triumph  over 
the  Beast  b/the  Word  of  God,  (Rev.  19  :  20;)  when  the  seclusion  of  the 
true  wife,  etc.,  terminates  also.    (Rev.  12 :  6,  14.) 

t  §§  256,  257, 


182  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

the  sounding  of  the  sixth  trumpet.  The  loo  to  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth  or  earthly  principles,  consisting  in  the 
action  of  the  Euphratean  cavahy,  showing  the  legal  opera- 
tion of  the  earthly  plan  of  atonement,  (the  impractica- 
bility of  any  atonement  by  man  through  the  merit  of  his 
own  works.)  As  also  iu  the  prophesying  or  preaching  of 
the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth,  showing  the  inconsistency 
of  the  principles  of  divine  worship,  under  Gentile  con- 
struction, with  that  arrangement  of  sovereign  grace, 
through  which  alone  in  Christ,  and  in  return  for  the 
immeasurable  love  exhibited  m  his  vicarious  work,  God 
can  be  truly  worshipped.* 

Note — As  we  consider  the  occupation  of  the  court  of  the  temple  and  posses- 
sion of  the  city  by  the  Gentiles,  the  prophesying  of  the  witnesses  in  sack- 
cloth, and  the  condition  of  the  dead  bodies ;  as  well  as  the  seclusion  and 
persecution  of  the  woman,  and  the  reign  of  the  beast,  (afterwards  related,) 
different  aspects  or  illustrations  of  the  same  prevalence  of  error;  it  follows 
that,  when  this  figurative  period  expires,  the  Holy  City  and  court  of  the 
temple  are  relieved  from  the  occupation  of  the  Gentiles — a  release  from 
captivity  prophetically  alluded  to  perhaps  by  the  Psalmist.  (Ps.  14  :  7.) 
The  termination  of  all  these  hindrances  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
coinciding  with  the  victory  of  the.  "Word  of  God  over  the  Beast,  the  false 
prophet,  and  Satan.  By  the  same  scale  we  learn  that  the  Beast  from  the 
bottomless  pit  is  himself  overcome,  coincidently  with  the  killing  of  the  two 
witnesses. 

This  pro'pliesying  of  the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth,  may  compare  with 
that  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  contemplated  under  a  construction  of 
the  Mter,  by  which  their  real  Gospel  purport  is  hid,  (2  Cor.  4  :  3,)  so  hid 
that  they  appear  to  be  only  the  utterance  of  judicial  denunciation,  with 
solemn  admonitions  to  repentance. 

When  this  sackcloth  construction  is  removed,  and  the  spirit  of  the  letter 
(both  of  the  law  and  the  prophets)  is  perceived,  the  Gospel  purport  being 
no  longer  Md,  the  city  is  delivered  from  captivity  ;  the  covenant  of  grace 
being  fully  revealed,  the  true  principles  of  divine  worship  are  developed. 
The  saints  (elements  of  evangelical  truth)  are  no  longer  overcome.    The 

*  ??  250,  257. 


WITNESSES   IN   SACKCLOTH.  183 

new  dispensation  is  seen  taking  the  place  of  the  old,  as  the  new  Jerusalem 
(once  the  persecuted  woman)  is  seen,  as  it  were,  descending  from  heaven. 
All  things  are  thus  comcidently  made  new.  Truth  developed  in  one  particu- 
lar, being  attended  with  a  like  development  of  truths  in  all  other  par- 
ticulars. 


184  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 


CHAPTER     III. 

SEVENTH    TEUMPET   SOUND — THIRD   WO — CHOETJS — "WAR    IN 

HEAVEN THE   BEAST   FROM   THE   SEA THE   BEAST   FROM 

THE     LAND ^THE     IMAGE     AND     THE     NUMBER      OF     THE 

BEAST, 

Act  rH.    Sce7ie:  Heaven. 

CHORUS. 

We  are  now  come  to  the  third  chorus  of  many  voices, 
(Rev.  11  :  15,)  corresponding  with  the  second  stasimon 
of  the  Greeks ;  the  matter  intervening  between  this  and 
the  next  chorus  (Rev.  14  :  1)  comprehending  a  scene  in 
heaven  and  a  scene  on  the  earth. 

The  song  of  this  chorus  is  called  forth  by  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  and  last  trumpet  ;*  the  last  of  the  three 
trumpets  of  which  the  voices  were  declared  to  be  a  cause  of 
wo  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth ;  of  which  last  voices,  it  was 
also  said,  that  in  its  days  "  the  mystery  of  God  should  be 
finished,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants,  the  prophets ;" 
by  which  we  understand  that,  whatever  the  development 
of  this  voice  may  be,  it  must  accord  with  what  has  been 
before  announced  by  prophets  and  apostles ;  while  it  com- 
pletes also  all  that  is  to  be  revealed  of  the  subject  of  the 
vision. 

The  burden  of  this  choral  songf  is  a  rejoicing  over  facts 
known  in  heaven,  but  yet  to  be  revealed  (exhibited)  on 

*  §  258.  •    t  §§  259,  2«0. 


SEVENTH   TEUMPET   CHORUS.  185 

the  earth.  For  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world,  in  every  sense,  have  always  been  subject  to 
the  Lord  Almighty :  but  that  these  kingdoms,  in  a  doc- 
trinal sense,  are  become  those  of  Jehovah  and  his  Christ, 
and  that  He  (the  two  in  one)  shall  reign  for  ever,  are  to 
be  made  manifest ;  as  is  symboUcally  done  in  this  revela- 
tion. The  purport  of  this  trumpet's  voice,  accordmgly 
corresponds  with  the  end  referred  to  by  the  apostle  Paul, 
when  God  shall  be  manifested  to  be  all  in  all. 

Such  is  the  announcement  of  the  great  voices  in  heaven 
(Rev.  11  :  15-18)  responded  to  by  the  four  and  twenty 
elements  of  divine  revelation,  represented  as  falling  on 
their  faces  and  worshipping  God,  saying :  "  We  give  thee 
thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast,  and 
art  to  come,  (the  eternal ;)  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thy- 
self thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned ;"  meaning  evi- 
dently because  this  has  been  manifested. 

The  preceding  chorus  (Rev.  7  :  10)  ascribed  salvation 
to  God  and  the  Lamb ;  the  present  chorus  ascribes  all  power 
to  God  alone.  The  difference  can  be  explained  no  other- 
wise than  as  the  apostle  Paul  explains  it ;  that  in  the  end 
here  contemplated,  the  Son  is  manifested  to  have  given  up 
the  kingdom  to  the  Father. 

"  The  nations,"  as  is  said  by  these  elements  of  revela- 
tion, "  were  angry  or  raged  ;*  corresponding  with  what  is 
said  of  the  heathen,  (Ps.  2:1;)  and  thy  wrath,  or  rage,  is 
come ;  and  the  time  of  the  dead  that  they  should  be 
judged;  and  that  thou  shouldst  give  reward  to  thy 
servants,  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that 
fear  thy  name,  and  shouldst  destroy  them  that  corrupt  the 

*  §  261. 


186  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

earth."  These  things  are  contemplated  by  the  chorus  as 
things  done,  in  which  respect  the  expressions  forereach 
upon  the  conckision  of  the  vision — referring  to  the  whole 
exhibition  resulting  from  the  voice  of  this  last  trumpet. 

The  raging  of  the  nations  is  to  be  seen  under  the  reign 
of  the  ten-horned  Beast,  and  false  prophet,  and  in  those 
corrupted  by  Babylon ;  in  the  gathering  together  of  the 
Beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,  (Rev. 
19:9,)  and  in  the  attack  of  the  Gog  and  Magog  host  upon 
the  camp  of  the  saints.  The  "  great  power"  alluded  to, 
is  manifested  in  the  destruction  of  these  elements  that 
corrupt  the  earth ;  such  as  the  Beast,  the  false  prophet, 
the  harlot,  Satan,  Death,  and  Hell,  and  the  elements  con- 
nected with  them.  The  time  of  the  dead^  corresponds 
with  the  judgment-scene  described.  (Rev.  20  :  12-15.) 
As  the  reward  to  be  given  to  the  faithful,  corresponds 
with  the  dignity  and  privileges  granted  to  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  (Rev. 
20:4;)  while  the  sovereignty  of  the  Lord  God  (his  taking 
to  himself  his  great  power  and  reigning)  is  manifested 
more  particularly  at  the  close  of  the  vision. 

Thus  the  song  of  this  chorus  of  the  twenty-four  elders, 
contains  in  effect,  a  summary  of  all  that  is  developed  by 
the  voice  of  this  last  trumpet. 

Scene :  in  Heaven. 

THE  TEMPLE  OE  GOD  OPEN — THE  AEK  WITHIN  THE  TEM- 
PLE IN  SIGHT  —  LIGHTNINGS,  VOICES,  THUNDERINGS, 
SHAKING,    AND    GEEAT   HAIL. 

In  the  preceding  temple-scene,t  the  spectator  was  per- 

*  §§  2G2,  263.  t  §5  264,  265. 


THE  WOMAN,   THE   CHILD,   THE  DEAGON.  187 

mitted  to  see  only  the  outside  of  the  temple,  "  the  court, 
and  those  that  worship  therein."  The  inner  temple  is  now 
exhibited,  affording  a  sight  of  the  ark  of  the  testament, 
or  covenant ;  a  symbol  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by 
grace  :  as  the  voices,  lightnings,  etc.,  symbolize  the  claims 
of  the  legal  covenant ;  the  thunderings  of  Sinai.  The 
scenery^  as  we  may  term  it,  corresponding  with  the  exhi- 
bition about  to  be  given  of  the  contending  elements  in  the 
coimcHs  of  heaven ;  as  of  the  claims  of  the  broken  law  on 
one  side,  and  those  of  the  Gospel  on  the  other :  or  of  the 
power  of  legal  condemnation  on  one  side,  and  that  of 
sovereign  grace  on  the  other. 

Upon  the  opening  of  this  scene,  there  appeared  in  hea- 
ven a  great  symboHcal  figure  or  sign :  a  woman*  clothed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her 
head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars.  The  word  translated  here, 
woman^  is  elsewhere  rendered  by  the  term  ^^/e,  a  married 
woman,  and  may  be  so  considered  here,  as  we  shall  find 
subsequently  this  woman  to  be  identic  with  the  wife  of 
the  Lamb.  Here,  she  is  not  announced  in  her  true  charac- 
ter ;  although  her  array  might  indicate  it.  She  is  clothed 
mth  the  rays  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness ;  (His  righte- 
ousness being  her  righteousness ;)  a  dress  corresponding 
with  that  of  the  bride.  (Rev.  19:8.)  The  moon,  the 
harbinger  of  glad-tidings,  is  under  her  feet,  and  the  crown 
of  twelve  stars  (the  number  of  the  apostles)  indicates 
their  testimony,  or  collectively,  that  of  the  whole  New 
Testament,  to  her  final  triumphant  course. f 

As  the  rider  of  the  white  horse  went  forth  also  crowned, 
in  token  of  his  final  triumph,  we  may  consider  the  two 

*  §  26G.  t  §§  267,  268. 


188  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

figures  symbolical  of  the  same  thing ;  the  word,  or  pur- 
pose of  God,  corresponding  with  the  contents  of  the  ark 
just  being  exposed. 

The  condition  of  the  woman,  prior  to  the  birth  of  the 
child,  may  be  compared  to  that  of  the  new  covenant  under 
the  old  dispensation ;  as  withheld,  and  that  for  four  thou- 
sand years,  till  the  power  of  the  law  to  give  life  had  been 
tried.  The  pains  of  travail  alluded  to,  correspond  with 
the  extreme  difficulty  of  the  case,  m  which  the  demands 
of  justice  could  be  reconciled  with  those  of  mercy  only  by 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God. 

Simultaneously  with  the  appearance  of  this  woman, 
another  great  sign  is  seen  in  heaven,  (a  symbolical  figure 
also  ;)  a  gr edit  fiery  red  dragon*  or  serpent,  having  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns.  From  what  is  afterwards  said  of 
this  dragon,  we  perceive  that  he  is  the  legal  adversary, 
intent  upon  the  condemnation  of  man,  and  consequently 
the  opposer  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace. 
Hence  his  ten  hor7is  may  be  taken  to  represent  the  power 
of  the  law ;  the  number  of  horns  corresponding  with  the 
decalogue,  or  summary  of  the  divine  law.  His  seven 
heads  probably  represent  so  many  elements  of  the  accu- 
satory power — purposes  by  which  the  broken  law  is  brought 
into  action ;  but  it  is  sufficient  here  to  consider  them  as 
one  head,  (seven  being  a  symbol  of  totality,)  and  that 
head  containing  the  sting  of  legal  death  or  condemnation. 

The  tail  of  this  serpentf  drew  the  third  of  the  stars  of 
heaven  and  cast  them  to  the  earth.  The  stars  of  heaven, 
in  the  third  sense,  are  the  lights  of  divine  revelation,  as 
contained  in  the  sacred  Scriptures.     To  cast  or  drag 

*  §§  269-272.  t  §  273. 


THE   WOMAN,    THE   CHILD,    THE   DRAGON.  l89 

these  stars  to  the  earth  is  to  bring  these  lights  ot  divine 
revelation,  by  misconstruction  or  misinterpretation,  do^vn 
to  a  level  with  the  earthly  system  of  justification  by  works. 
The  ftinction  of  this  tail  of  the  serpent,  is  accordhagly 
equivalent  to  that  of  a  false  prophet ;  as  it  is  said,  (Is. 
9  :  15,)  "  The  prophet  that  teacheth  lies  he  is  the  tail."  A 
prophet  here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  sacred  writings, 
being  not  merely  one  who  foretells  coming  events,  but  also 
any  one  who  undertakes  to  interpret  divine  revelation 
(the  purposes  of  God)  by  an  exposition  of  the  written 
word.  Such  a  one  may  be  either  a  true  or  a  false  prophet. 
In  the  figurative  language  of  the  apocalypse,  the  prophet  is 
put  for  the  prophecy.  So  the  tail  of  the  serpent  here 
represents  the  false  construction,  itself,  by  which  the  letter 
of  the  written  word  without  the  spirit,  is  made  to  sub- 
serve the  purposes  of  the  legal  adversary.  The  tail  of 
the  dragon  and  the  two-horned  beast,  being  two  figures 
of  the  same  false  interpretation. 

On  the  seven  heads  of  the  serpent  were  seven  diadems^ 
not  merely  crowns^  (such  as  were  given  to  successful  com- 
petitors in  the  games,)  but  diadems  symbolizing  the  pre- 
tensions of  the  great  serpent  to  sovereignty;  as  the 
assumption  of  the  diadem  was  equivalent,  amongst  the 
Romans,  to  a  pretension  to  imperial  power  and  authority. 
The  dragon  thus  pretends  to  a  power  derived  fi-om  that  of 
the  law,  (Luke  3  :  5,  6,)  even  superior  to  the  element  of 
divine  sovereignty  itself. 

This  serpent,t  such  as  he  has  been  described,  stood 
before  the  woman  ready  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it 
was  bom :  a  symbolical  representation  of  the  attitude  of 

*  §  272.  t  55  274. 


190  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

the  broken  law,  in  its  relation  to  the  divine  purpose  of 
salvation  by  grace.  That  divine  purpose  is  represented 
by  the  woman ;  and  the  offspring  of  that  gracious  pur- 
pose, (the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,)  by  the  child : 
"  the  child  Jesus,"  in  whom  this  propitiatory  element  was 
impersonated.  We  shall  find  indeed,  in  the  end,  that  this 
mother  and  cliild  are  one  :  but  here,  as  elsewhere  in  the 
Scriptures,  different  figures  are  employed  for  the  same  sub- 
ject, for  the  purpose  of  affording  some  illustration  peculiar 
to  each  figure. 

The  purpose  of  God,  however,  is  not  to  be  frustrated. 
The  woman  brings  forth  the  man-child,*  who  is  to  rule  all 
nations  with  a  rod  or  sceptre  of  iron  (with  perfect  sove- 
reignty) corresponding  with  the  promise  to  the  conqueror, 
(Rev.  2  :  26,  27 ;  )with  the  promise  to  the  Son  of  God, 
(Ps.  2:9;)  with  an  attribute  of  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse,  (Rev.  19  :  15  ;)  and  with  the  appellations  of  the  cliild 
spoken  of  by  the  prophet.  (Is.  9  :  6,  7.)  The  sovereignty 
destined  for  this  child  is  over  all  principles,  including  those 
of  the  law.  His  position  is  in  direct  hostility  to  that  of 
the  serpent.  The  aim  of  the  legal  adversary  is  thus  from 
the  beginning,  to  swallow  up  this  element  of  divine  pro- 
pitiation by  the  power  of  the  law  over  the  transgressor, 
("  the  soul  that  sitmeth.") 

The  difficulty  of  the  case,  as  a  question  of  principle,  is 
again  illustrated  here  by  the  manner  in  which  the  child  is 
saved  ;  perhaps,  we  may  say,  the  only  manner  in  which  it 
could  be  saved.  The  child  was  caught  up  to  God  and  his 
throne ;  equivalent  to  a  manifestation  that  this  vicarious 
element  of  propitiation  is  itself  an  element  of  divine  sove- 

-  §§  275,  270. 


THE   WOM.^JN,    THE   CHILD,    THE   DRAGON.  191 

reignty — an  attribute  of  God  and  his  throne.  An  attri- 
bute of  Him,  who  being  the  creator  and  possessor  of  all 
things,  and  by  whom  all  things  were  created,  has  a  right 
to  do  as  he  will  with  his  own—ihQ  maker  of  the  law  only 
having  a  right  to  dispense  with  or  to  modify  its  requisi- 
tions.    (Mark  2  :  28.     Luke  6:5.) 

The  woman  fled*  into  the  wilderness,  where,  as  it  is  rep- 
resented, she  has  a  place  prepared  for  her,  for  a  period 
corresponding  with  that  assigned  for  the  possession  of  the 
Holy  City  by  the  Gentiles,  the  prophesying  of  the  wit- 
nesses in  sackcloth,  and,  as  is  seen  afterwards,  the  reign 
of  the  ten-horned  Beast.  (Rev.  13  :  5.) 

The  plan  of  salvation  deprived  of  its  distinguishing  fea- 
ture, the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  is  in  a  state  of  seclu- 
sion, corresponding  with  the  condition  of  this  woman  m  the 
wilderness.  God's  plan  of  salvation,  without  an  exhibi- 
tion of  the  propitiation  of  Christ,  can  not  be  discerned,  or 
it  appears  to  be  no  other  than  a  legal  dispensation.  The 
prevalence  of  the  errors  of  false  construction,  before  ex- 
hibited symbolically,  may  be  considered  both  cause  and 
effect  of  tliis  seclusion ;  for  where  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion is  recognized  in  its  proper  light,  these  errors  or 
causes  of  error  can  not  exist ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the 
literal  and  carnal  construction,  and  partial  development 
of  truth,  alluded  to  under  the  figure  of  the  power  of  the 
Gentiles  over  the  Holy  City,  the  influence  of  the  prophe- 
sying in  such  clothing,  and  the  state  of  the  dead  bodies  of 
the  witnesses,  there  would  be  no  room  for  the  misunder- 
standing of  the  plan  of  salvation ;  these  operations  corre- 

*  §§  277,  278, 


192  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

spending  with  the  action  of  the  dragon's  tail  in  bringing 
the  stars  of  hearen  to  earth. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  the  man-child  again  makes 
his  appearance,  as  we  shall  find  he  does  in  the  persons  of 
the  Rider  of  the  white  horse  and  of  the  Bride  or  Lamb's 
wife,  with  whom  he  is  identified,  then  the  divine  plan  of 
salvation  is  understood,  and  overcomes  all  opposmg  prin- 
ciples ;  the  element  of  vicarious  sacrifice  peculiar  to  it 
being  in  effect,  the  sceptre  or  rod  destined,  figuratively, 
to  rule  over  all  nations,  (Gentile  principles.) 

Time  being  out  of  the  question,  we  are  not  to  under- 
stand the  "  war  in  heaven,"  mentioned  here,  as  commenc- 
ing, Uterally,  at  any  particular  period.  It  is  a  contest  of 
principles,  which  must  have  always  existed:  "Michael 
and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon,  and  the  dragon 
fought  and  his  angels."* 

Michael,  from  the  signification  of  his  name,  ("  who  is 
Hke  unto  God  ?")  appears  to  be  a  personation  of  divine 
sovereignty,  the  angels  or  messengers  being  the  subordi- 
nate principles  of  that  sovereignty.  The  dragon,  as  is 
seen  by  his  diadems^  is  a  pretender  to  the  same  sovereign- 
ty; enforcing  his  claims  by  the  power  of  the  law — ^his 
ten  horns.  He  is,  besides,  afterwards  declared  to  be 
"  that  old  serpent,"  (the  tempter  of  the  woman  in  Para- 
dise,) "  the  devil,"  the  accuser  or  prosecutor  under  the 
law,  and  Satan,  the  adversary  of  the  divine  plan  of  re- 
demption. His  first  operation  was  to  bring  his  victim 
under  the  power  of  the  law ;  his  second  effort  is  to  en- 
force the  penalty  of  the  broken  law,  and  his  third  attempt 

*  §§  279,  280. 


THE   WAR   IN   HEAVEN.  193 

is  to  defeat  the  divine  plan  of  redemption  by  urging  the 
supremacy  of  the  requisitions  of  the  law  perverting  the 
whole  economy  of  redemption,  (Gal.  1  :  7.)  The  con- 
test represented,  is  accordingly  that  of  the  power  of  divine 
sovereignty,  as  exercised  in  God's  plan  of  salvation,  and 
the  power  of  the  broken  law  in  its  condemnation  and 
eternal  ruin  of  the  transgressor. 

The  result  of  the  contest  is  such  as  corresponds  with  the 
whole  purport  of  the  Gospel.  "The  dragon  prevailed 
not — ^neither  was  there  any  more  place  found  for  him  in 
heaven."  The  element  of  divine  sovereignty  triumphs. 
The  law  being  fulfilled  by  Christ,  (according  to  God's 
purpose  of  sovereign  grace,)  the  power  of  the  broken 
law  ceases.  The  accusing  element  in  enforcing  the  penalty 
of  transgression  has  no  more  place  in  the  heavenly  coun- 
sels, or  in  that  exhibition  of  them  which  is  figuratively 
termed  heaven. 

The  dragon  was  cast  out*  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels 
or  messengers  were  cast  out  with  him.  It  is  now  only  in 
the  earthly  system  of  justification  by  works  of  the  law 
that  the  devil  or  Satan  finds  a  place.  The  reign  or  king- 
dom, the  strength  and  the  salvation  of  God,  and  the 
power  of  his  anointed^  are  proclaimed  to  be  manifested  in 
heaven  although  not  yet  developed  on  earth,  f  So  the 
triumph  of  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  through 
the  power  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  is  set  forth  in  the 
sacred  Scriptures,  when  those  are  rightly  understood. 
But  under  a  false  construction,  the  same  Scriptures  exhibit 

*  §§  281,  282.  t  Compare  with  Luke  10  :  18  ;  Is.  14  :  12. 


194  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

only  an  earthly  view,  as  a  way  of  salvation  by  works  of 
the  law. 

Corresponding  vrith  the  idea  that  the  war  here  describ- 
ed symbohzes  a  struggle  between  contending  principles, 
we  suppose  the  brethren^  spoken  of,  as  heretofore  accused 
contmually  by  the  dragon,  to  be  the  elements  or  princi- 
ples of  the  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  which  principles  we 
may  imagine  to  have  been  accused  of  licentiousness,  or  of 
that  tendency.  As  the  preaching  of  Paul  appears,  from 
his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  to  have  been  not  without 
accusers  of  this  character. 

These  brethren^  however,  are  said  to  have  overcome 
their  accuser  "  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."*  The  legal 
adversary,  Satan,  urges  the  demands  of  the  broken  law, 
as  something  not  be  satisfied  except  by  the  death  (con- 
demnation) of  the  transgressor,  and  as  a  consequence 
accuses  the  principles  of  the  plan  of  salvation  by  grace 
with  disregard  for  the  divine  law  itself.  "With  this  pre- 
tended zeal  for  the  law  he  assumes,  as  it  is  said  of  him,  the 
appearance  of  an  angel  of  light.  The  elements  of  God's 
plan  of  mercy  meet  the  accusation  and  overcome  it  by 
urging  the  all-sufficiency  of  the  atonement  of  Christ  (the 
blood  of  the  Lamb)  to  satisfy  the  requisitions  of  divine 
justice ;  enabling  the  sovereign  to  be  just  and  yet  to  just- 
ify in  the  appointed  way,  the  transgressor  of  his  laws. 
The  law  being  magnified  in  the  exhibition  of  the  costli- 
ness of  the  sacrifice  demanded  for  its  'satisfaction.  (Is. 
42  :  21.) 

For  the  triumph  of  these  Gospel  principles,  the  heavensf 

*  §§  285-285,  t  g  286. 


THE  WEATH    OF   THE   DEAGON.  195 

(the  whole  body  of  divine  revelation)  are  figuratively- 
called  upon  to  rejoice.  For  the  same  reason,  that  is,  on 
account  of  the  defeat  of  the  accuser  and  his  expulsion 
fii'oni  the  heavenly  councils,  together  with  his  subsequent 
resort  to  the  earthly  system,  a  wo  is  pronounced  on  the 
elements  of  that  system,  with  those  of  its  adjunct — the 
symbolical  sea.  The  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  being  princi- 
ples of  self-justification,  have  reason  to  dread,  although 
not  aware  of  it,  the  admission  of  the  legal  accuser  amongst 
them ;  because  his  action  must  necessarily  be  to  try  the 
strength  of  their  pretensions.  For  the  same  reason  the 
inhabiters  of  the  sea,  represented  by  ships  or  arks,  (human 
inventions  of  safety,)  have  reason  to  dread  the  visitation  ; 
the  real  power  of  the  sea,  with  its  waves  roaring,  being 
brought  out  by  the  rage  of  this  legal  advocate,  showing 
at  the  same  time  the  insufficiency,  in  the  hour  of  trial,  of 
these  means  of  safety. 

Sceiie:  the  Eaeth. 

Excluded  from  the  heavenly  plan  of  divine  government, 
the  avenger  of  the  broken  law,  as  he  professes  to  be,  is 
driven  to  seek  a  place  in  the  earthly  platform  ;*  where  he 
finds  full  scope  for  the  exercise  of  his  power ;  as  those  de- 
pending upon  the  merit  of  their  own  works,  necessarily 
expose  themselves  to  condemnation  for  every  act  of  diso- 
bedience or  neglect  of  duty  m  heart  or  action. 

The  first  eJQTort  of  Satan  (in  the  earthly  system)  is  to 
banish  from  sight  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace  : 
figuratively  persecuting  the  woman  till  she  is  driven  into 

*  §  287. 


196  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

the  wilderness.  Here,  indeed,  she  is  protected  by  the 
symbolic  over-shadowing  of  the  spirit  of  truth,  (the  com- 
forter ;)  the  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  till  the  crisis  of 
development  is  reached,  when  this  symbohc  veiling  is  re- 
moved, and  she  appears,  as  she  afterwards  does,  in  her 
true  character — that  of  the  bride  of  the  Lamb. 

Meantime,  her  seclusion"^  m  the  wilderness  (the  earthly 
system)  corresponds  as  a  figure,  with  the  possession  of  the 
Holy  City  by  the  Gentiles,t  the  prophesying  of  the  wit- 
nesses in  sackcloth,  the  state  of  then-  dead  bodies  in  the 
great  city,  and  the  reign  of  the  ten-horned  beast.  These 
several  coincidences,  as  also  the  woman's  deprivation  of 
her  child,  aU  combining  by  divine  arrangement  to  place 
her  in  this  wilderness  position.^ 

The  water  from  the  mouth  of  the  serpent§  cast  forth  as 
a  flood,  and  taken  up  by  the  earth,  corresponds  with  the 
power  of  the  broken  law,  which  acts  only  on  the  earthly 
plan  of  justification  by  works;  the  covenant  of  grace 

*  §§  288, 289. 

t  A  time,  times  and  half  a  time,  or  one  year,  two  years  and  half  a  year, 
being  equivalent  to  forty-two  months,  or  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days,  or 
three  and  a  half  annual  days. 

X  As,  according  to  the  Greek  order,  (Rev.  21 :  1,)  the  apostle  saw  "  heaven 
new  and  earth  new,"  perhaps  we  may  say  in  respect  to  this  woman,  it  is 
not  so  much  the  individual  as  it  is  the  aspect  under  which  she  is  contemplat- 
ed, that  constitutes  the  peculiarities  of  her  position.  Under  a  true  con- 
struction, God's  plan  of  salvation  appears  symbolically  a  garden  of  Eden— 
a  paradise :  under  a  false  construction,  the  same  plan  appears  a  desert. 
The  atonement  of  Christ  being  lost  sight  of,  it  is  a  wilderness  where  there 
is  no  water.  (Ps.  63  :  1.)  So  under  a  false  construction,  the  wife  of  the 
Lamb  may  be  made  to  appear  as  a  harlot,  disguised  in  the  trappings  of  the 
legal  covenant,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  thus  contemplated  being  converted 
into  a  Babylon. 

§  §  290. 


THE   TEN-HOENED   BEAST.  197 

(the  -woman)  being  as  safe  from  its  effects  as  was  the  ark 
of  old  amidst  the  deluge  of  waters.* 

The  dragon,  defeated  in  his  purpose  of  overwhelming 
the  woman  by  the  accusatory  deluge  from  his  mouth,  di- 
rects his  further  efforts  against  the  remnant  of  her  off- 
spring. The  child  (the  divine  element  of  vicarious  sacri- 
fice) being  protected  from  every  assault  by  the  attri- 
bute of  divine  sovereignty :  the  hostility  of  Satan  is  now 
directed  against  the  other  elements  of  the  divine  plan  of 
salvationf — ^figuratively  those  that  keep  (as  in  custody) 
the  commandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ.  This  war,  as  we  shall  see,  the  arch-adversary 
carries  on  by  insidiously  endeavoring  to  substitute  a  prin- 
ciple, the  opposite  of  that  of  sovereign  grace  and  a  mys- 
tery, or  plan  of  salvation,  the  opposite  of  that  revealed 
in  the  Gospel.J; 

Prior  to  the  relation  of  this  "  war  in  heaven,"  our  at- 
tention was  taken  up  with  an  exhibition  of  the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb  against  the  elements  and  principles  of  the  earthly 
system,  (the  productions  of  the  earth  and  its  inhabiters.) 
We  are  now  to  witness,  for  a  while,  the  action  of  the 
wrath  of  the  dragon,  dm-ing  the  short  period  of  his  power 
on  earth ;  after  which  we  shall  see  the  two  parties  more 
immediately  in  contest  with  each  other.  Succession  of 
time,  however,  is  not  to  be  taken  in  consideration.    The 

*  The  woman  deprived  of  her  child  appears  cast  off,  forsaken,  deso- 
late. The  remedy  apparently  would  be  to  restore  the  child,  but  the  design 
seems  to  be  to  show  that  the  woman  and  child  are  in  effect  one,  symbolized 
also  by  the  marriage  of  the  bride  and  the  Lamb.  Their  separation  destroys 
the  character  of  both ;  as  in  the  separation  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ  from  the  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  and  mce  versa. 

t  §  291.  X  %  292, 


198  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

matter  about  to  be  represented,  is  to  be  contemplated  as 
coincident  with  what  has  been  previously  represented — 
different  illustrations  of  the  same  contest. 

Sceiie :  The  Mabgin  of  the  Sea. 

The  apostle,  though  in  heaven,  has  in  vision  a  position 
or  stand-point,  on  the  sand  of  the  sea-shore :  a  position* 
corresponding  with  that  of  one  who,  in  sight,  as  it  were, 
of  "  the  sea,  and  its  waves  roaring,"  builds  his  house  upon 
the  sand — the  earthly  foundation  of  human  pretensions  to 
merit.  Not  that  the  apostle  himself  is  under  this  delu- 
sion, but  that  he  is  so  placed  as  to  see  certain  objects  in 
the  light  that  the  dioellers  upon  the  earth  view  them — a 
certain  despotic  power,  for  example,  is  about  to  be  de- 
scribed, which  these  men  of  the  earth  regard  as  equal  to 
the  Deity,  although  in  the  sight  of  God  that  power  is  but 
as  the  dust  of  the  balance. 

A  beast,  not  merely  a  living  creature,  but  according  to 
the  Greek,  a  ferocious,  carnivorous  animal,  is  seen  to  rise 
out  of  the  sea.  Judicial  vengeance  with  its  terrors  giving 
birth  to  a  principle  or  mystery,  which,  in  effect,  claims  to 
occupy  the  place  of  the  God  of  our  salvation. 

This  ferocious  animalf  has  seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
corresponding  with  those  of  the  great  red  dragon,  and,  as 
this  latter  is  afterwards  said  to  have  given  his  power  and 
great  authority  to  the  Beast,  we  may  presume  the  heads 
and  horns  of  both  to  be  the  same ;  with  this  difference, 
that  the  dragon  bore  upon  his  seven  heads  seven  diadems, 
while  the  beast  bears  ten  diadems  upon  his  ten  horns. 

These  ten  horns  collectively,  we  have  supposed  to  sym- 

*  §  293.  t  §§  294,  295. 


THE   TEN-HORNED    BEAST.  lf)0 

V 

bolize  the  power  of  the  law.  The  diadems  being  sym- 
bohc  of  sovereignty,  the  Beast  hypocritically  ascribes  his 
sovereignty  to  the  power  of  the  law ;  while  the  dragon, 
as  we  have  seen,  imscrupiJoiisly  claims  that  attribute  for 
himself;  at  least  in  respect  to  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth, 
and  their  glory.  (Luke  4:6.)  The  Beast,  however, 
bears  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy,  indicating 
that  in  reahty,  his  purpose  and  pretensions  (making  him- 
self equal  with  God)  are  equivalent  to  assuming  the  dia- 
dem, or  to  placing  that  insignia  of  supreme  authority  upon 
his  own  heads.* 

The  general  appearance  of  this  Beast  was  that  of  a 
Leopard,  an  animal  most  remarkable  for  the  indelible 
spots  of  his  skin.  His  feet  were  those  of  a  bear,  (ugly 
and  swift  to  shed  blood ;)  opposites  of  the  beautiful  feet 
bringing  glad  tidings  of  peace.  His  mouth  was  hke  that 
of  a  lion  uttering  denunciations  terrible  as  the  Hon's  roar. 

To  this  beast  the  di'agon  gave  his  power,  his  throne  or 
seat,  and  his  great  authority ;  great  in  the  estimation  of 
the  dwellers  upon  the  earth :  his  power,  that  of  the  ten 
horns  of  the  law,  and  his  seat,  throne,  or  tribunal,  the 
function  of  accuser  and  prosecutor,  or  avenger  of  the 
broken  law.  The  ten-horned  beast  may,  therefore,  be 
considered  ia  every  respect,  the  representative  of  Satan 
himself—"  the  accuser  of  the  brethren,"  the  enemy  of  the 
element  of  divine  propitiation,  and  the  persecutor  of  the 
woman,  or,  in  other  words,  the  adversary  of  the  divine 
purpose  of  salvation  by  grace — ^the  Word  of  God. 

One  of  these  blasphemous  heads  was,  as  it  were,  slaugh- 
tered to  death  ;t  symbolizing  a  sacrifice  to  propitiate  death, 

*  §§  296,  297.  t  §  298. 


200  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

apparently  the  covenaut  of  deatli  alluded  to,  Is.  38  :  15. 
Death  bemg  throughout  one  of  the  personifications  of  this 
apocalyptic  exhibition.  The  death-woimd,  however,  of 
this  head  was  healed,  and  all  the  earth  wondered  after 
the  beast,  apparently  on  account  of  this  supposed  trium- 
phant healing  or  resuscitation  of  his  slaughtered  and 
resuscitated  head. 

As  this  death  and  restoration  of  a  head  appears  to  be  a 
sort  of  simulation  or  imitation  of  the  death  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ,  we  may  presume  this  blasphemous  head 
to  be  the  figure  of  a  pretension  to  atoning  power  equiva- 
lent to  that  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God.  This  head 
we  denominate  accordingly  that  of  self-'propitiation^ 
presuming  the  others  to  be  of  like  character;  such  as 
self-dependence,  self-justification,  self-regeneration,  self- 
sanctification,  self-glorification,  self-purification.  All  these 
principles  are  blasphemous,  as  resultuig  in  pretensions 
to  an  equahty  with  God;  as  such,  they  may  be  oppo- 
sites  of  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  symbolized  by  the  seven 
lamps  before  the  throne,  and  the  seven  horns  and  seven 
eyes  of  "  the  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain."  The  seven 
heads  thus  represent  seven  modes  in  which  the  mystery 
of  iniquity  symbolized  by  the  Beast  is  exhibited ;  as  the 
seven  lamps  are  figures  of  so  many  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  by  which  the  power  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ  is  manifested,  as  emanating  from  the  attribute  of 
divine  sovereignty.  We  are  not  tenacious,  however,  of 
these  several  appellations,  but  put  them  forth  rather  as 
suggestions  for  consideration.* 

The  spotted  skin  of  the  leopard,  black  and  white,  and 

*  See  note  on  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  at  the  close  of  the  volume. 


THE   TEN-HORNED    BEAST.  201 

rather  a  dingy  white  too,  corres23onds  with  that  pretended 
garment  or  robe  of  righteousness,  which  even  professing 
Christians  may  in  imagination  weave  for  themselves,  and  to 
which  they  trust ;  a  garment  of  salvation  composed  partly 
of  their  own  merits  and  partly  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ.* 

Takuig  these  pecuhar  characteristics  into  view,  and 
bearing  ui  mind  that  the  whole  vision  is  intended  for  the 
admonition  of  certain  Christian  assemblies,  we  consider  this 
Beast  the  symbol  of  a  spii'it  or  principle  of  a  doctrinal  sys- 
tem or  mystery  of  error  (perhaps  the  mystery  itself  per- 
sonified) entering  into  or  fornnng  the  views  more  or  less 
of  members  of  the  visible  Church  of  Christ;  perverting 
the  faith  by  its  apparent  zeal  for  the  law,  and  by  the  plau- 
sibility of  its  pretensions;  virtually  preaching  another 
gospel  which,  in  the  language  of  an  apostle,  is  not  a 
gospel.     (Gal.  1:7.) 

According  to  our  common  version,  the  world  wondered 
after  the  Beast.  According  to  the  Greek  it  should  be  the 
earth  wondered  after  the  beast.  Allusion  being  made  to 
the  earthly  platform  of  justification  by  works.     The  prin- 

*  Heretofore  we  have  contemplated  the  productions  of  the  earth  as 
symbolizing  the  offspring  of  an  mimix£d  plan  of  justification  or  propitiation 
by  worlcs,  and  "  the'inhabiters  of  the  earth"  as  figures  of  doctrinal  princi- 
ples resting  or  depending  on  such  a  platform.  Our  attention  is  now  to  be 
directed  to  a  mixed  system ;  partly  of  works  and  partly  (in  profession  at 
least)  of  grace  ;  meaning  by  works,  as  we  do  throughout  in  the  use  of  the 
term,  any  supposed  merits  of  the  disciple,  whether  derived  from  a  pretended 
fulfillment  of  the  divine  law,  the  observance  of  ordinances,  or  any  species 
of  will-worship ;  as  by  grace,  we  mean  that  provision  of  sovereign  mercy  on 
which  the  disciple  depends  for  salvation  through  the  atonement  and  right- 
eousness of  Jesus  Christ. 
9* 


202  THE    SEALED    BOOK. 

ciples  of  this  platform  or  system  of  faith  figuratively  look 
with  reverence  equal  to  adoration  upon  this  power,  emerg- 
ing from  the  element  of  judicial  wrath,  and  sustained  pro- 
fessedly by  the  law,  (his  ten  horns,)  and  by  the  voice  of 
offended  justice,  (the  mouth  of  the  lion,)  which,  togeth- 
er with  the  apparent  sufficiency  of  his  pretension  to  aton- 
ing power,  seem  to  render  his  claim  even  to  divine  sove- 
reignty, indisputable — as  expressed  in  the  exclamations : 
"  Who  is  like  unto  the  Beast  ?  who  is  able  to  make  war 
with  him  ?  "  As  if  emulating  in  oj^position,  the  language 
of  the  apostle  Paul  in  allusion  to  the  true  plan  of  redemp- 
tion or  "  mystery  of  Christ,"  "  It  is  God  that  justifieth ! 
Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?"  * 

The  mouth  of  this  monster,  siDcaking  great  things  and 
blasj)hemies,  is  indicative  of  all  the  pretensions  to  self-suf- 
ficiency and  self-righteousness,  corresponding  with  the 
blasphemous  features  symboHzed  as  we  have  supposed  by 
his  seven  heads.  His  continuance  in  power  "  forty-two 
months  "  has  been  already  noticed  as  marking  out  the  in- 
timate connection  of  the  reign  of  this  system  of  error  with 
the  prophesying  ^?^  sackcloth  of  the  two  witnesses,  the 
state  of  theii-  deadibodies,  the  Gentile  possession  of  the 
Holy  City  and  outer  com't  of  the  temple,  and  the  seclu- 
sion of  the  woman  (the  real  bride)  in  the  wilderness. 

There  is  too  strong  a  resemblance  between  the  symboh- 
cal  description  of  this  blasphemous  element  and  the  de- 
scription of  the  man  of  sin,  (2  Thess.  2  :  1-12,)  to  leave  a 
doubt  of  the  identity  of  the  two  ;  of  course,  in  point  of 
fact,  the  rising  of  this  Beast  from  the  sea,  together  with 
the  existence  of  all  the  other  elements  of  error  we  have 

*  §§  290,  300. 


THE   TEN-HORNED    BEAST.  203 

contemplated,  was  coeval  with  the  first  preaching  of 
Christianity.  The  mystery  was  already  working  in  Paul's 
time;  it  was  only  the  development  or  revelation  of  it  that 
he  spoke  of  as  a  thing  to  be.  The  reign  accordingly  is 
not  to  be  limited  to  time  or  place.  With  some  it  may 
appear  in  the  form  of  the  Nicolaitane  error,  with  others 
in  the  doctrine  of  Balaam ;  with  some  it  may  occasion  the 
loss  of  theii*  first  love,  with  others  it  may  engender  the 
nauseous  lukewarmness  of  the  Laodicean. 

The  blasphemies  of  the  Beast  are  classified,  as  against 
God,  as  blaspheming  the  name  of  God  and  his  tabernacle 
and  them  that  dwell  therein.* 

Any  pretension  virtually  representing  the  sjDeaker  or 
thinker  on  an  equality  with  God  must  be  blasphemy  against 
God;  such  is  described  to  be  the  crime  of  the  Man  of  Sin,  or 
error.  Blasphemy  of  the  name  of  God  must  be  a  claim  or 
pretension  of  su]oeriority  to  the  power  of  God,  as  repre- 
sented by  him,  whose  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God, 
(Rev.  19  :  13 ;)  and  blasphemy  of  the  tabernacle  of  God 
and  them  that  dwell  therein  a  pretension  to  superiority 
over  the  divine  plan  of  salvation;  symbohcally  "the 
tabernacle  of  God,"  (Rev.  21  :  2,  3.)  Those  that  dwell 
therein  being  its  principles  or  elements,  opposites  of  the 
dwellers  upon  the  earth. 

The  blasphemies  alluded  to  we  su^Dpose  to  be  virtually 
such ;  principles  or  pretensions  of  an  uividious  character — 
principles  hypocritically  sustained  "  after  the  working  of 
Satan"  by  an  appearance  of  zeal  for  the  law  and  divine 
justice.  The  system  or  mystery  being  chargeable  with 
this  hypocrisy ;   not  those  who  are  deluded  by  it.     The 

*  §§  001-303. 


204  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

mystery  in  fact  possessing  the  accusing  power  of  the  dra- 
gon, whose  authority  is  instrumentally  sustained  by  the 
ten  horns  of  the  law. 

To  this  representative  of  the  dragon*  it  is  given  to  make 
war  with  the  saints^  and  to  overcome  them.  As  these  saints 
or  holy  ones  are  put  for  the  principles  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  they  are  the  remnant  of  the  woman's  seed,  against 
whom  Satan  was  before  said  to  have  directed  his  hostility. 

How  these  saints  or  holy  ones  are  overcome  is  not  men- 
tioned till  we  reach  the  account  given  of  the  second  Beast, 
or  false  prophet.  The  power  over  the  doctrinal  elements 
figuratively  termed  kindreds,  (tribes,)  tongues,  and  na- 
tions, is  apparently  exercised  through  the  same  instrumen- 
tality ;  that  is,  through  the  misconstruction  of  written  re- 
velation, of  which  misconstruction  the  false  prophet  is  a 
symbohcal  figure. 

The  same  distinction  is  to  be  observed  here  as  akeady 
noticed,  (Rev.  11  :  9-10,)  between  the  dwellers  upon  thef 
earth,  forming  one  class,  and  the  kindreds,  tongues,  and 
nations  forming  another.  The  first,  those  that  rejoiced  and 
made  merry  over  the  dead  bodies  of  the  two  prophets,  are 
here  said  to  worship  or  serve  the  Beast ;  as  it  was  before 
said,  the  whole  earth  wondered  after  the  Beast,  and  wor- 
shipped the  dragon,  and  also  worshipped  the  Beast ;  all 
that  dwell  on  the  earthy  whose  names  are  not  wiitten  ui 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life ;  the  144,000  sealed  ones  being 
those  excepted.  The  class  of  kindreds,  tongues,  and  na- 
tions, those  that  would  not  allow  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
witnesses  to  be  removed,  although  brought  under  the 
power  of  the  Beast,  are  not  said  to  worship  liim.    The 

*  §  304.  t  §  305. 


THE   TEN-HOKNED    BEAST.  205 

book  of  the  life  of  the  Lamb,  or  the  Lamb's  book  of  life, 
we  consider  here  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Apocalypse,  a 
figure  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  through  the  propi- 
tiatory sacrifice  of  Christ,  of  which  the  Lamb  is  the  sym- 
bohcal  figure. 

The  admonition,*  (Rev.  13  :  9,)  "If  any  man  have  an 
ear  let  him  hear,"  corresponds  with  that  given  in  each  of 
the  epistles  to  the  churches.  He  that  hath  an  ear  let  him 
hear  what  the  spirit  saith.  The  attention  being  thus  par- 
ticularly called  from  the  letter  to  the  spirit-sense  of  the 
passage  under  consideration. 

It  is  very  apparent  that  we  can  not  get  at  the  true 
meaning  of  what  has  been  and  is  to  be  here  said  without 
knowing  what  is  represented  by  this  ten-horned  Beast, 
whose  name  or  title,  according  to  the  number^  (of  which 
we  shall  treat  in  its  place,)  must  be  the  adversary  of 
the  cross  of  Christ;  this  cross,  as  we  apprehend,  being 
another  figure  of  God's  purpose  or  will  of  salvation  by 
grace,  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ.  The  Beast, 
accordingly,  whether  we  term  him  a  principle,  system,  or 
mystery,  is  the  adversary  of  this  divine  purpose  of  grace, 
elsewhere  termed  the  Word  of  God.  In  correspondence 
with  this  title,  we  find  the  same  hostile  power  the  leader, 
in  the  great  battle  of  Armaggedon,  of  the  forces  arrayed 
against  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  whose  "name  is  called 
the  Word  of  God":  the  Word  declared  in  one  of  the 
gospels  to  be  impersonated  in  Jesus  Christ. 

As  the  adversary  of  the  divine  purpose  of  grace,  the 
Beast  must  be  the  symbolical  exponent  of  a  doctrinal 
system,  or  the  spirit  of  a  mixed  system  of  self-dependence, 

*  §  306. 


206  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

(self-justification  and  self-propitiation,)  whicli  sets  the  gra- 
cious Word  of  God  at  defiance.  It  is  the  spirit  of  one  re- 
lying on  his  own  fulfillment  of  the  law,  anS.  his  own  ability 
to  meet  by  some  propitiatory  work  any  short-coming  in 
that  fulfillment ;  while  professedly  mixing  up  with  these 
a  dependence  upon  the  merits  of  Christ.  We  do  not  apply 
it,  however,  to  any  particular  individual,  sect,  or  rehgious 
denomination;  but  as  the  whole  vision  was  primarily 
intended  for  the  admonition  of  the  seven  Christian  churches, 
we  consider  the  error  here  represented  as  something 
which,  through  "  the  working  of  Satan,"  has  crept  into  the 
views  of  Christians  generally ;  a  mystery  working  in  the 
time  of  the  apostles,  and  which  will  work,  as  it  is  said,  (2 
Thess.  2  :  7,)  till  that  which  letteth  or  hindereth  is  taken 
out  of  the  way ;  this  hindering  principle  or  power  being 
apparently  that  false  construction  of  the  written  word,  to 
which  we  have  had  occasion  already  to  advert. 

As  the  adversary  of  the  cross*  or  divine  purpose  of 
grace,  this  Beast  must  represent  a  principle  or  system  of 
salvation,  j)artly  of  works  and  partly  of  grace ;  the  two 
being  incompatible  with  each  other,  (Rom.  11:6.)  Such  a 
system  would  bring  aU  dependent  upon  it  under  the  action 
of  the  law  in  its  strictest  sense,  a  tendency  figuratively 
alluded  to  here  as  leading  into  captivity.  At  the  same 
time,  the  system  or  spirit  itself,  as  being  one  of  works, 
must  be  open  to  the  test  of  the  la-w,  by  which  it  is  also 
itself  brought  into  captivity,  as  one  snared  in  his  own 
words,  (Rev.  13  :  10.)  As  a  system  depending  upon  the 
ten  horns  of  the  law  for  its  power,  it  kiUs  with  the  sword 
of  the  law,  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  red  horse ; 

*  §  307. 


THE   TEN    HORNED   BEAST.  20*7 

while  it  is  itself  killed  by  the  sword  of  the  spirit ;  as  we 
shall  see  to  be  the  fate  of  this  Beast  in  the  contest  with 
him  who  conquered  by  the  sword  out  of  his  mouth  y  and  by 
whom ^the  Beast  and  false  prophet  are  taken  as  in  a  snare 
(Rev.  19  :  20)  and  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.* 

"  Here,"  it  is  said,  "  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the 
saints."  Here  is  matter  to  encourage  the  faith  and  pa- 
tience of  those  spoken  of  as  saints.  Although  the  wicked 
(this  evil  principle  or  system)  may  flourish  for  a  certain 
period,  or  under  certain  circumstances,  the  certainty  that 
he  will  finally  go  into  captivity,  or  perish  by  the  sword,  is 
or  should  be  sufficient  to  sustain  the  patience  and  faith  of 
the  saints  or  holy  ones ;  apocalyptically,  those  who  under 
the  Altai'  were  calling  for  the  vindication  of  their  cause, 
and  the  avenging  of  their  blood,  upon  these  dwellers  upon 
the  earthy  (Rev.  6  :  11,)  by  whom  the  Beast  is  worshipped, 
and  by  whom  as  subjects  his  power  is  sustained.  Difier- 
ence  of  time  being  out  of  the  question,  as  a  thing  not  to  be 
taken  into  view,  the  state  of  the  souls  under  the  altar  may 
be  viewed  as  one  of  the  effects  of  the  power  of  the  Beast, 
to  make  war  with  these  saints,  and  to  overcome  them. 

Note. — As  this  Beast  has  the  heads  of  the  serpent,  as  well  as  the  horns, 
he  may  be  supposed  to  carry  in  those  heads  the  sting  of  the  serpent.  Such 
is  ihQ  worMng  of  Satan  that  without  appearing  himself  in  his  true  character, 
he  introduces  principles  into  doctrinal  views,  professedly  Christian,  which 
in  reality  subject  the  disciple  to  all  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law. 


*  The  same  Beast,  as  it  appears  subsequently,  (Rev.  17  :  8,)  is  that  from 
the  bottomless  pit,  by  which  the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth  were  over- 
come and  killed.  The  principle  of  the  hottomlcss-pit  systftn  overcoming  the 
testimony  in  sackcloth  ;  but  afterwards  itself  overcome  by  the  sword  of  the 
spirit. 


208  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

Scene:  the  Maegin  of  the  Sea. — {Co7itinued.) 

THE   SECOND   BEAST. 

The  apostle's  post  of  observation  being  unchanged,  a 
second  Beast  is  seen  coming  up  from  the  land.*  Some- 
thing originating  from  the  land  or  earthly  system,  as  the 
first  Beast  owed  its  origin  to  the  elements  of  judicial 
wrath,  represented  by  the  sea.  The  appearance  of  these 
two  animals  is  to  be  considered  simultaneous ;  although 
the  description  of  one  unavoidably  follows  that  of  the 
other. 

This  second  Beast  has  two  horns  lilie  a  lamb,  but  he 
speaks  as  a  dragon.  He  is  indeed  a  carnivorous  animal, 
as  the  appellation  (translated  Beast)  given  to  both  in  the 
Greek,  signifies.f  He  is  not  afterwards  mentioned  as  a 
Beast,  but  in  the  catastrophe  (Rev.  19  :  20)  he  is  very 
plainly  designated  as  the  false  j^rophet.  As  such  we  shall 
accordingly  consider  him;  the  figurative  term  of  false 
prophet,  being  put  for  a  false  interpretation,  or  false  con- 
struction of  the  written  word  of  divme  revelation.  The 
action  of  this  second  Beast  corresponds  accordingly  with 
that  of  the  tail  of  the  dragon,  bringing  down  the  heaven- 
ly fights  or  sense  of  Scripture  to  a  level  with  the  earthly 
platform  of  justification  by  works.  As  this  second  beast 
comes  fi'om  the  la7id,  we  may  consider  the  misinterpreta- 
tion represented  by  him  to  be  an  eflect  or  emanation  of 
the  earthly  system  of  works. 


t  Both  elements  are  su.stained  by  the  carnnl  or  literal  sense  of  written 
revelation. 


THE  TWO-HORNED   BEAST,    OR   FALSE  PROPHET.        209 

The  "  two  horns  like  a  lamb,"  mdicate  two  doctrines 
professedly  di'awn  from  the  Gospel ;  and,  as  horns  are  a 
general  figm'e  of  powers,  we  may  presume  that  whatever 
this  Beast  is  able  to  effect  (as  subsequently  related)  is 
done  by  the  operation,  or  through  the  instrumentality  of 
these  two  doctrinal  powers  or  lamb-like  horns.  The  doc- 
trines peculiar  to  this  false  construction  professedly  corre- 
spond with  faith  in  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and  trust  in 
his  merits;  but  the  construction  itself  is  in  effect  the 
language  of  legal  accusation,  speaking  as  a  dragon;  the 
dragon  of  course  so  much  opposed  to  the  woman  and 
child  recently  noticed  in  the  *'  war  in  heaven."  The  ten- 
dency of  this  false  construction  must  be  such,  therefore,  as 
is  opposed  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace. 

"  He  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the  first  Beast  before 
hirap'^^  that  is,  the  pretended  power  of  this  first  Beast ; 
this  power  being  derived  from  the  ten  horns,  backed  with 
the  authority  of  the  dragon.  The  second  Beast  operating 
with  his  two  lamb-like  horns,f  exercises  all  the  power  of 
the  ten  horns,  together  with  the  authority  of  the  accuser; 
or  without  a  figure,  the  false  construction  of  the  Gospel 
revelation  is  enabled,  by  the  two  doctrines  alluded  to,  to 
exercise  all  the  power  of  the  law  with  its  judicial  denun- 
ciations, in  rendering  the  earthly  system  of  works,  and 
the  principles  depending  upon  it,  subservient  to  the  ad- 
versary of  the  cross  of  Christ  worshipping  (serving)  the 
Beast  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed.    The  second  Beast 

*  §  309. 

+  To  define  the  power  of  these  two  horns,  we  must  hare  recourse  to  the 
tendency  of  the  doctrines  represented  by  them. 


210  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

does  this  it  is  said,  before  or  iii  the  presence  of  the  first 
Beast.  That  is,  as  the  prune  minister  or  vizer  of  an  eastern 
sovereign  acts  as  in  place  of  that  sovereign,  and  is  so  re- 
cognized as  expressmg  the  mind  of  his  ruler. 

He  doeth  great  wonders  or  signs,*  even  so  as  to  make 
fire  come  down  from  heaven  i7i  the  sight  of  nian^  but  not 
in  the  sight  of  God.  As  a  false  prophet  liis  construction 
of  the  written  word  is  so  plausible  as  in  appearance  to  be 
deemed  divine  revelation  in  its  true  sense.  The  allusions 
of  the  figure  are  apjDarently  to  the  pretended  miracles 
performed  by  the  magicians  of  Egypt  before  or  in  the 
presence  of  Pharaoh,  so  hardening  his  heart  that  "he 
would  not  let  the  people  go." 

By  these  plausible  appearancesf  of  divine  sanction 
ascribed  to  this  element  of  false  construction,  the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth,  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system  of 
worksj  are  drawn  into  the  fonnation  or  concoction  of  a 
plan  of  salvation  (an  image)  which  has  all  the  characteris- 
tics of  the  Beast,  especially  in  reference  to  the  wounded 
and  resuscitated  head.  That  head  being  a  pretension  to 
a  vicarious  sacrifice,  we  may  presume  the  image  of  the 
Beast  to  be  something  of  the  same  character;  a  plan  of 
redemption,  a  propitiation  put  forth  by  the  false  prophet 
(false  construction)  as  a  substitute  for  the  divine  plan  of 
salvation,  represented  by  the  woman  bearing  the  male 
child ;  this  image,  the  first  Beast,  and  Babylon,  being  dif- 
ferent illustrations  of  the  same  mystery. 

The    plausible    construction   (the    false    prophet)    has 

*  §  310.  t  §§  311,  312. 

X  By  xvorlcs  we  understand  here  and  elsewhere  all  supposed  merits  or 
meritorious  observances  of  man's  performance. 


THE  IMAGE  OF  THE  BEAST.  211 

power  to  make  his  false  plan  of  propitiation  appear  as 
having  the  spirit  of  revealed  truth;  figuratively,  giving 
life  to  the  image.  The  speaking  of  the  image  is  a  fig- 
urative expression  for  the  influence  of  this  pseudo  plan 
of  propitiation,  in  turning  the  mind  from  a  just  view  of 
God's  purpose  of  salvation,  through  the  atonement  of  Christ : 
speaking,  like  prophesying,  apocaly]^)tically,  being  put  for 
the  action  of  glosses,  constructions,  and  interpretations,  as 
they  speak  to  the  mind. 

The  false  prophet  had  further  power  to  cause*  those  who 
would  not  worship  the  image,  to  be  hilled ;  the  worship 
of  the  image  being  equivalent  to  the  worship  of  that 
which  is  represented  by  the  image,  the  two  in  efiect 
are  one.  Killing^  as  a  figure,  is  the  separation  of  the 
spirit  fi*om  the  letter ;  the  false  prophet  had  the  power,  in 
the  sight  of  men,  (apparently,  not  really,)  to  give  or 
withhold  this  spirit,  causing  some  elements  or  principles  of 
doctrine  to  appear  to  have  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter 
of  revelation,  and  others  not  to  have  it ;  those,  accord- 
ingly, which  were  not  subservient  to  the  worship  of  the 
image  were,  by  the  power  of  this  construction,  made  to 
appear  as  principles  resting  upon  the  letter  alone. 

What  becomes  of  this  image  as  such,  is  not  afterwards 
related.  Its  fate  is  not  alluded  to  under  that  appellation ; 
but  from  some  analogies  in  the  case,  we  suppose  the 
woman  afterwards  described  as  seen  in  the  Tvilderness, 
sitting  on  the  Beast  (supported  by  him)  to  be  the  image 
here  referred  to.  (Rev.  18:3.)  That  woman  (Babylon) 
standing  in  the  same  relation  to  the  Beast,  that  the  true 
wife  (the  New  Jerusalem)  stands  to  the  Lamb.     As  the 

*  §  313-315. 


212  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

woman  is  the  image  or  glory  of  the  man,  so  the  bride,  or 
New  Jerusalem  is  the  image  or  glory  of  Christ  ;*  and  so 
Babylon,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth,  is  the  image  and  glory  of  the  ten-horned  Beast. 
As  the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  bride,  are  one,  so  the 
image  (Babylon)  and  the  Beast  are  one ;  and  as  the  wife 
of  the  Lamb  represents  the  true  plan  of  salvation,  so  the 
image  of  the  Beast  (the  harlot)  represents  the  false  plan  of 
salvation.  The  false  construction,  accordingly,  causes  a 
pseudo  plan  of  propitiation  to  be  formed,  which  in  its 
character  is  identic  with  the  Beast ;  the  two  being  to  a 
certaia  extent  different  aspects  of  the  same  error.  In  re- 
lation to  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system  of  justification 
by  works,  they  are  both  alike  the  one  pretended  cause  of 
salvation,  and  consequently  the  one  object  of  worship. 

The  "  working  of  Satan "  thus  operates  in  a  two-fold 
manner.  First,  by  sustaining  a  spirit  of  self-justification, 
and  the  second  by  introducing  a  substitute  for  the  propi- 
tiation of  Christ;  both  j^lacing  man,  the  sinner,  in  the 
blasphemous  light  of  being  his  own  Saviour — ^making  him 
equal  with  God. 

The  effect  of  the  false  gloss  or  construction,  represented 
by  the  second  Beast,  is  to  inflict  a  certain  characteristic 
feature  upon  all  the  doctrinal  elements  or  principles  par- 
ticipating in  the  system,  or  kingdom,  as  it  is  afterwards 
termed,  of  the  first  Beast  and  his  image.  All,  from  the 
least  to  the  greatest,  whether  they  relate  to  matters  of 
works  or  matters  of  faith,  (the  hand  or  the  head,)  must 
have  the  prominent  mark  oi  hostility  to  the  cross  of  Chinst^ 
(Rev.  13  :  16, 17  :)  corresponding  with  the  name  of  the 

*  See  1  Cor.  11:7,  and  context. 


THE  MAEK  AND  NUMBER  OF  THE  BEAST.      213 

Beast.  The  system  being  a  mercenary  one,  tlie  figure 
(apjDropriately  employed)  is  that  of  buymg  and  selling  as 
the  only  means  of  life.  No  one  is  admitted  to  the  privi- 
lege of  trading  in  this  kingdom,  but  such  as  possess  a 
token  of  this  hostility  to  the  ci^oss — the  mark  or  the  name 
of  the  Beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name  :  that  is,  the  mean- 
ing signified  by  that  number. 

The  allusion  to  difierent  ranks  and  degrees,  carries  us 
back  to  the  panic-scene  exhibited  on  the  opening  of  the 
sixth  seal,  (Rev.  6  :  15,)  reminding  us  that  the  existence 
of  this  Beast's  Mngdom  is  not  a  thing  subsequent  to  mat- 
ters before  related ;  but  that  it  is  itself  one  of  the  causes 
of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb ;  and  may  thus  be  considered 
as  having  preceded  even  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book 
Time,  however,  in  a  chronological  sense,  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered. The  vision  is  a  development  of  doctrine,  in 
which,  of  course,  error  precedes  the  correction  of  it — other- 
wise aU  the  representations  may  be  taken  as  synchronical. 

We  have  already  supposed  the  name  or  title  of  the  ten- 
horned  Beast  to  be  that  of  the  Adversary  of  the  Cross  of 
Christ.  We  have  now  to  furnish  the  reasons  for  this  sup- 
position as  drawn  from  the  number  of  the  name. 

"  Here  is  wisdom,"  it  is  said ;  "let  him  that  hath  under- 
standing, count  the  number  of  the  Beast ;  for  it  is  the 
number  of  a  man,  and  his  number  is  six  hundred  three 
score  and  six,  (666.)* 

With  both  Greeks  and  Hebrews  the  common  mode  of 
representing  numerical  values  was  by  the  use  of  letters  of 
the  alphabet — certaki  letters  being  used  for  units,  deci- 
mals, hundreds,  and  thousands.    Accordingly  in  the  origi- 

*  §  316,  and  note,  pp.  693-694. 


214  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

nal  language  of  the  apocalypse,  the  number  666  is  ex- 
pressed by  three  Greek  letters  (x  ^  r)  equal  to  our  ch,  z,  st. 

The  Hebrew  cabbalist  had  three  modes  of  applying  the 
letters  of  a  number  or  other  term.  One  of  these  modes 
was  that  of  selecting  such  letters  as,  according  to  theii* 
respective  arithmetical  values,  would  amount  to  the  given 
number,  and  at  the  same  time  compose  a  word  or  term, 
supposed  to  be  that  sought  for. 

Another  mode  was  that  of  employing  each  letter  of  a 
number,  or  term,  as  the  initial  of  another  word,  and 
with  the  aggregate  of  these  words  composing  a  phrase 
indicative,  as  supposed,  of  the  sense  to  be  conveyed. 

A  thii-d  method  consisted  in  the  transposition  of  the 
letters  of  a  word,  as  in  the  formation  of  anagrams,  till 
the  arrangement  yielded  an  expression  satisfactory  to 
the  operator.  As  this  last  could  avail  nothing  on  the  pre- 
sent occasion,  we  shall  take  no  fuilher  notice  of  it. 

The  first  method  is  that  usually  adopted  by  commen- 
tators on  the  mystic  number  imder  consideration — so  far, 
we  believe,  without  success  ;  the  process  suggesting  such 
a  variety  of  names  as  can  not  fail  to  show  the  uncertainty 
of  any  interpretation  depending  upon  it. 

The  second  mode,  so  far  as  initials  are  concerned,  ac- 
cords with  a  practice  common  amongst  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans, as  well  as  other  nations,  in  theu'  inscriptions  upon 
monuments,  medals,  and  coins.  For  this  reason  we  think 
it  better  entitled  to  attention  than  any  other ;  and  have 
therefore  adopted  it,  with  the  more  confidence,  as,  in  the 
result,  the  name  or  title  it  gives  us  of  the  ten-horned 
Beast,  corresponds  with  all  tha,t  is  said  of  his  character 
and  operations  in  the  preceding  representation. 


THE   MAEK   ANT>   NUMBER    OF   THE    BEAST.  215 

Of  the  three  Greek  letters  above  referred  to,  x  (ch)  for 
600,  is  the  initial  of  the  Greek  word  Ghristou,  (of  Christ,) 
^  (z)  for  60,  is  the  initial  of  the  word  Zuloic^  (of  the  cross,) 
and  g-  (st)  for  6,  is  the  miiisil  of  the  nsune  jSata?ias,  (Satan,) 
which  signifies  the  adversary.  Thus  the  expression,  accord- 
ing to  the  Greek  order,  is  of  Christ,  of  the  Cross,  the 
adversary :  or  according  to  English  order,  The  adversary/ 
of  the  Cross  of  Christ — which  accords  with  the  relation 
given  of  the  Beast,  as  we  have  viewed  it,  and  as  will  ap- 
pear more  ftilly,  when  we  treat  of  his  image,  the  mother 
of  harlots.     (See  Hyp.  §  560,  p.  693.) 

The  Beast  is  the  adversary,  not  merely  of  Christ,  but 
of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  the  cross,  as  ah-eady  iutimated, 
being  a  figurative  expression  for  the  diviue  purpose  of 
salvation  by  grace.  The  cross  is  also  a  figure  correspond- 
ing in  purport  with  the  bride  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  New 
Jerusalem ;  of  which  the  image  of  the  Beast  (the  harlot, 
or  Babylon)  is  a  blasphemous  substitute.  The  cross  like- 
wise corresponds  with  the  Word  of  God,  of  which  the 
Beast  is  seen  to  be  the  adversary  in  the  great  battle  of 
Armageddon,  being  thus,  ia  fact  as  iu  name,  the  adversary 
of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

The  term  man,  as  used  in  this  connection,*  is  evidently 
a  symbolical  appellation  put  for  a  principle,  or  element  of 
doctrine,  as  when  Paul  speaks  of  the  ma7i  of  sin  or  man 
of  error,  (2  Thess.  2  :  3,)f  and  as  we  regard  throughout  lq 
the  apocalypse  the  terms  men,  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  and 

*  Rev.  13  :  18. 

+  Having  no  hesitation  in  regarding  the  mystery  here  alluded  to  by  Paul 
as  that  represented  by  the  ten-horned  Beast,  we  have  so  occasionally  referred 
to  it  for  illustration. 


216  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

dwellers  upon  the  earth,  equivalent  to  principles  of  the 
earth-system.  Meantime  adoi3ting  the  7iame  thus  estab- 
lished, we  shall  so  use  it  in  the  subsequent  examination 
of  the  vision.* 

*  §§317-324. 


THE   LAMB   ON   MOUNT  ZION.  217 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  LAMB  ON  THE  MOUNT  ZION — CHORUS — THE  MID-HEAVEN 

HERALD THE  VOICE  FROM  HEAVEN — ^THE  WHITE  CLOUD — 

THE     HARVEST     AND     VINTAGE THE     WINE  -  PRESS     OF 

WRATH. 

Act  IV.    Scene :  in  Heaven. 

The  chorus  of  many  voices  here  described  (Rev.  14  : 1-5) 
is  equivalent  to  the  thu'd  stasimon  of  the  Greek  drama. 
The  scene  presented  affords  a  perfect  contrast  to  that  just 
exhibited,  and  seems  intended  to  remind  us  that  while  the 
progress  of  error  in  matters  of  faith  is  such  upon  the  earth 
as  to  be  a  cause  of  lamentation  to  the  lovers  of  evangehcal 
truth,  the  divine  purpose  of  grace,  understood  as  it  is  in 
heaven,  is  there  a  cause  of  rejoicing  and  praise.* 

The  subjects  represented  by  these  different  scenes,  we 
must  bear  in  mind,  are  not  successive,  but  figuratively 
speaking  contemporaneous.  While  the  power  of  the  vice- 
gerent of  Satan,  and  the  false  prophet  is  apparently  para- 
mount in  the  earth,  the  Lamb,  the  real  victor,  is  occupying 
a  triumphant  position  on  the  heavenly  Mount  Sion,  sur- 
rounded by  the  144,000  faithful  witnesses,  having  his 
Father's  name  written  in  their  foreheads.f 

*  §  325. 

+  As  the  name  of  the  Beast  in  the  forehead,  designated  the  mercenarj' 
character  of  the  elements  characterized  by  it;  so  the  name  of  the  Father  in 
the  foreheads  of  these  attendants  of  the  Lamb,  has  its  aUusion  to  the  attribute 
of  divine  sovereignty. 

10 


218  THE    SEALED    BOOK. 

Thus  to  see  the  Lamb  on  the  Mount  Sion  is  to  discern 
the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  sustained  by  the  principle 
of  sovereign  grace,  as  testified  by  all  the  elements  of  divine 
revelation,  triumphing  over  every  principle  opposed  to 
God's  plan  of  salvation.  Such  is  the  heavenly  view,  of 
which  we  aj*e  to  contemplate  a  corresponding  development 
in  the  catastrophe  of  the  coming  representation. 

The  Moimt  Sion*  is  an  opposite  of  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
as  the  Lamb  is  an  opposite  of  Satan  in  heaven  as  well  as  of 
his  representative  upon  the  earth;  and  as  those,  sealed 
with  the  Father's  name  in  their  foreheads,  are  opposites 
of  the  men,  (principles,)  bearing  in  then-  right  hands  and  in 
their  foreheads  the  mark  of  the  Beast.  If  those  who  are 
sealed  with  the  Father's  name  in  their  foreheads  are  not 
sealed  in  their  hands  also,  it  must  be  that  they  are  prin- 
ciples of  doctrine  making  no  pretensions  to  worJcs^  as  a 
means  of  justification. 

The  voice  fi-om  heaven  is  the  language  of  divine  revela- 
tion in  its  true  sense.f  In  its  utterance  of  the  law,  it  is  com- 
pared to  a  voice  of  thunder.  In  its  development  of  the  way 
of  salvation,  through  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  Hke 
the  voice  of  many  waters,  overcoming  all  other  soimds  or 
voices ;  a  result  calling  forth  the  praises  symbolized  by 
"the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps."  The 
subject  of  praise  is  nearly  the  same,  if  we  consider  it  the 
child,  at  first  apparently  exposed  to  be  devoured  by  the 
dragon,  and  saved  only  by  being  snatched  up  to  God  and 
his  throne,  now  appearing  as  the  Lamb  about  to  exercise 
the  sovereign  rule  for  which  he  was  destined.    (Rev.  10:5.) 

On  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book,  or  rather,  when  the 

*  §  826.  t  §  327. 


CHOEUS.  219 

Lamb,  as  it  had  been  slain,  assumed  that  work,  the  four 
attributes  of  divine  sovereignty  and  the  twenty-four  pres- 
byters sang,  it  is  said,  a  7iew  song  before  the  Lamb.  On 
the  present  occasion  the  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thou- 
sand sealed  ones,  themselves  on  the  Mount  Sion  with  the 
Lamb,  are  said  to  sing  as  it  weee  a  neio  song  before  the 
throne,  and  before  the  four  living  creatures  and  the  elders. 
The  first  new  song  apparently  had  relation  to  the  plan  of 
redemption,  as  shadowed  forth  under  the  Old  Testament 
dispensation,  the  elements  of  which  are  brought  out,  in 
their  true  character,  by  the  vicarious  suffering  of  the 
Lamb.  The  second  song,  although  appearing  "«s  it  were''* 
a  new  song,  is  in  fact  the  same,  inasmuch  as  it  reveals  ex- 
pKcitly  the  whole  plan  of  redemption,  of  which  the  first 
was  only  an  indication. 

This  second  song,  it  is  said,  could  be  learnt  only  by  the 
144,000,  which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth.  The  four 
attributes  of  divine  sovereignty,  and  the  twenty-four  elders 
speak  of  themselves^  as  redeemed  to  God  by  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb  out  of  every  kindred,  tongue,  people,  and  na- 
tion. They  may  represent  therefore  general  principles, 
showing  the  way  of  salvation  through  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  and  as  such,  predominating  in  estabhshing  a  just 
view  of  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and  the  worship  due  to 
him,  being  figuratively  "kings  and  priests  imto  God." 
(Rev.  5  :  8,  9.) 

The  144,000  are  spoken  of  as  undefiled*  (principles  un- 
mixed) followers  of  the  Lamb  ;  principles  necessarily  inci- 
dent to  the  vicarious  work  of  Christ ;  "  redeemed  fi-om 
among  men,"  taken  out  of  the  general  principles  of  the 

^^  §  S28. 


220  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

earthly  system,  (Rev.  7  :  31,)  first  fruits,  or  specimen  prin- 
ciples of  the  plan  of  salvation,  without  guile  or  fault*  be- 
fore the  throne,  without  any  mixture  of  a  self-righteous 
tendency  in  divine  estimation ;  but  they  are  not  spoken  of, 
nor  do  they  speak  of  themselves,  as  "  Mngs  and  priests 
unto  God,"  nor  are  they  again  mentioned  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse by  this  numerical  designation.  Nor  are  the  four 
living  creatures  and  twenty-four  elders  or  presbyters  men- 
tioned ao-ain  till  we  reach  the  last  choral  scene,  or  Exodus. 
(Rev.  19:5.)  But  as  this  song  of  the  144  thousand  is  sung 
before  the  four  living  creatures,  and  before  the  elders,  (as 
well  as  before  the  throne,)  we  may  consider  it  a  commen- 
tary in  response  to  the  first  new  song,  referring  to  the  com- 
bined testimony  of  the  Old  and  ISTew  Testament.  As  both 
of  these  reveal  the  plan  of  redemption  by  grace,  the  song 
applying  to  all  that  is  afterwards  exhibited  in  the  vision, 
the  action  of  these  same  elements  is  not  again  called  for. 
Such  being  the  purport  of  this  new  song,  none  but  the 
144,000  sealed  ones  could  learn  it,  or  rather  as  the  Greek 
might  be  translated,  teach  it ;  as  it  can  only  be  taught  by 
the  contents  of  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

While  this  chorus  continues  its  action,  (the  process  of 
praise  for  redemption  never  ceasing,)  another  angel  is  seen 
flying  through  the  mid-heaven.  The  angel  previously 
seen  (Rev.  8  :  13)  flying  through  this  mid-heaven,  was 
the  messenger  of  the  three  woes  to  the  dwellers  upon  the 
earth.    The  present  messenger  announces  the  everlasting 


*  Spotless.  The  song  they  utter  (the  teaching  of  their  mouths)  is  free 
from  any  admixture  of  false  doctrine  or  of  any  tendency  to  self-justification. 
A^  such  it  is  an  opposite  of  the  leopard  skin  of  the  Beast. 


THE   HEEALD.  221 

Gospel,  according  to  the  Greek,  ujyon^  or  concerning  them 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  and  concerning  every  nation, 
and  kindred,  tongue,  and  people.  Literally,  as  akeady  no- 
ticed, the  last  class  would  be  included  in  the  first,  but  we 
consider  both  figures  of  two  distinct  classes  of  elements  or 
principles,  concerning^  (not  unto,)  which  the  Gospel  is  to  be 
preached ;  the  substance  of  that  preaching  consisting  in 
what  is  afterwards  represented  concerning  these  two 
classes,  as  it  is  part  of  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  ex- 
pose the  errors  adverse  to  it.  The  dwellers  upon  the 
earth  having  been  deluded  into  the  worship  of  the  Beast, 
and  the  setting  up  of  his  image,  and  the  kindred,  and 
tongues,  and  nations  havhig  been  brought  under  the  power 
of  the  Beast,  although  not  actually  his  worshippers,  these 
erroneous  views  need  to  be  brought  out.  All  accordingly 
that  is  afterwards  related  of  the  Beast,  and  of  Babylon, 
and  of  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  and  of 
the  nations,  Gog  and  Magog,  is  matter  concerning  these 
two  classes  ;  as  must  be  also  the  fleemg  away  of  the  earth 
itself,  the  scene  of  judgment,  and  the  coming  in  of  the  new 
earth  with  the  nations  and  kings  belonging  to  it.  (Rev. 
20  :  11 ;  21  :  24.) 

The  purport  of  this  angel's  preaching*  is  good  tidings  to 
those  who  have  not  been  led  away  by  the  Beast,  but  to 
tJie  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  and  even  to  the  nations  or 
Gentiles,  it  is  altogether  admonitory.  These,  however,  are 
here  the  subjects,  and  not  the  objects  of  the  preachuig. 
As  if  it  were  said,  "  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  him,  in- 
stead of  wondering  after  and  worshippiag  the  Beast.  For 
the  hour  of  his  judgment  (the  judgment  of  God)  is  come," 

*  §§  .320,  330. 


222  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

referring  to  the  visitations  upon  the  elements  of  error 
about  to  be  exhibited.  "  Worship  Him,  who  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  wa- 
ters," instead  of  worshipping  or  becoming  subservient  to 
elements  originating  from  the  sea  and  from  the  earth. 
The  whole  announcement  is  equivalent  to  a  declaration 
that  no  element  of  doctrine  can  be  admissible  in  the  divine 
system  of  government,  but  such  as  accords  with  the  per- 
fect sovereignty  of  the  Creator  of  all  things,  visible  or  m- 
visible.  Whether  the  principles  in  question  be  peculiar  to 
matters  of  revelation,  (heaven,)  to  a  system  of  works,  (the 
earth,)  to  the  action  of  the  broken  law,  (the  sea,)  or  to  the 
work  of  atonement,  (the  fountains  of  waters;)  they  are  in- 
admissible unless  they  inculcate  the  fear  of  God,  the  ascrip- 
tion of  all  glory  to  him,  and  the  worship  due  to  him  alone. 

And  there  followed  another  angel  (herald)  saying,  Ba- 
bylon is  fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  na- 
tions (Gentiles)  drmk  of  the  wine  of  rage  of  her  fornica- 
tion.* These  announcements,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  are 
in  the  mid-heaven ;  the  substance  of  them  remains  to  be 
developed  in  the  earthly  exhibition.  Accordingly,  although 
we  are  yet  to  witness  a  representation  of  Babylon  in  her 
glory,  and  in  her  ruin,  her  fall  is  already  announced  in 
heaven.  Indeed  we  are  not  to  suppose  any  lapse  of  time 
between  the  proclamation  of  the  angel  here,  and  the  de- 
struction afterwards  described.  We  must  divest  our  minds 
throughout  the  vision  of  any  thought  of  time  or  succession 
of  events. 

We  have  already  given  reasons  for  supposing  this  great 
city  to  be  the  image  of  the  Beast ;  represented,  as  it  is 

*  §  331. 


THE    HERALD.  223 

subsequently,  by  the  woman  (Babylon)  in  the  wilderness, 
sitting  on  the  Beast,  having  a  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abom- 
inations and  filthiness.  As  the  image  of  the  Beast,  the 
system  or  mystery  she  symbolizes,  corresponds  with  that 
represented  by  the  adversary  of  the  cross  himself.  Her 
cup  of  mixture*  corresponds  with  the  wounded  but  resus- 
citated head  of  the  Beast,  a  pretended  substitute  for  the 
vicarious  offering  of  Christ ;  the  mixed  contents  of  her 
cup,  the  wine  alluded  to,  being  a  substitute  for  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb,  or  the  element  of  divine  atonement.  The 
rage  of  her  fornication  is  a  figure  of  the  insane  madness 
of  the  mixture  of  prmciples  of  which  her  pretended 
element  of  atonement  is  composed.  The  nations  or  Gen- 
tiles made  to  drink  of  her  wine,  are  the  various  doctrinal 
systems  drawn  from  the  letter  of  revelation  into  which  this 
pretension  of  atonement  has  been  introduced;  giving 
them  a  certain  plausible  appearance  of  evangehcal  truth. 
Babylon  herself,  as  the  name  signifies,  represents  a  con- 
fused mixture  of  principles,  some  of  which  may  be  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  true  plan  or  mystery  of  salvation, 
from  the  call  made  on  them  to  come  out  from  her,  (Rev. 
18  :  4;)  but  it  is  this  very  mixture  of  the  evil  with  the 
good,  the  false  with  the  true,  which  renders  the  system, 
like  that  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  peculiarly  hateful  in  the  sight 
of  God. 

The  features  of  the  Babylon-mystery  were  partially  de- 
veloped under  the  figure  of  "the  great  city,"  in  the 
street  of  which  the  dead  bodies  of  the  witnesses  lay  for 
a  term  corresponding  with  that  of  the  prophesying  in 
sackcloth,  and  consequently  during  the  continuance  of  the 

*  §  332. 


224  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

Beast  in  power.  (Rev.  11:8,  9,  and  13  :  5.)  We  may 
conclude,  therefore,  that  it  is  under  the  circumstances  of 
that  mystic  period  that  the  nations  or  Gentiles  participat- 
ed in  the  cup  of  the  harlot ;  the  recij)rocal  action  of 
cause  and  effect  being  such  here,  also,  as  before  alluded 
to,  Babylon  (the  image)  exercises  her  influence  so  long  as 
the  Beast  continues  in  power. 

Thus  far,  the  faU  of  Babylon  and  the  reason  of  her  faU, 
only  have  been  annoimced ;  developing  that  feature  of 
her  system  represented  by  her  intoxicating  cup,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  illustration  afforded  by  the  three-fold  character 
of  the  great  city  above  aUuded  to.  The  next  messenger 
proclaims  the  doom  of  those  who  have  been  under  her  in- 
fluence, as  it  must  necessarily  have  been  connected  with 
the  reign  of  the  Beast. 

While  the  false  prophet  is  causing  all  to  worship  the 
Beast  and  his  image,  and  to  receive  the  mark  of  the  Beast 
in  the  hand  or  forehead,  the  third  mid-heaven  angel*  is 
represented  as  proclaiming  the  sentence,  that  aU  who 
thus  worship  and  receive  this  mark,  shaU  drink  of  the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  poured  out  without  mixture 
into  the  cup  of  his  indignation ;  and  shall  be  tortured  with 
flre  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb.  The  cup,  and  the  wine  of 
wrath  without  mixture,  appear  to  be  expressed  here  par- 
ticularly in  contradistinction  to  the  cup  and  mixed  wine 
of  the  harlot — as  if  it  were  measure  for  measure ;  thus  con- 
necting the  worship  of  the  Beast  and  his  image  with  a 
participation  in  the  wine  of  Babylon  ;  so  identifying  the 


§  333. 


THE    HERALD.  225 

woman  and  the  image  with  beast  as  one  and  the  same  ob- 
ject of  divine  indignation. 

The  punishment*  describedf  corresponds  with  the  ac- 
tion of  the  second  death ;  and,  presuming  that  those 
who  have  worshipped  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  have 
received  his  mark,  compose  his  forces  in  the  great  battle 
of  Armageddon,  (Rev.  19  :  18,)  we  find  the  sentence  exe- 
cuted in  the  result  of  the  judgment-scene,  where  the  dead^ 
the  slain  in  that  battle,  not  having  their  names  written  m 
the  book  of  life,  are  finally  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone,  where  the  Beast  himself  and  false  prophet  are 
tortured  day  and  night  forever  and  ever.  (Rev.  20  :  10- 
13.)  The  figure,  in  both  cases,  corresponds  with  the  trial 
represented  by  the  action  of  the  fire,  and  smoke,  and 
brimstone  of  the  Euphratean  cavahy ;  the  fire  being  the 
revealed  Word  of  God  in  its  true  sense,  the  brimstone 
the  symbol  of  perpetuity,  and  the  smoke  the  evidence  of 
the  process — ^which  evidence  is  here  declared  to  continue 
forever  and  ever. 

They  have  no  rest,j:  it  is  added,  day  nor  night,  who 
worship  the  Beast  and  his  image  and  receive  the  mark  of 
his  name.  The  principles  of  doctrine  belonging  to  the  sys- 
tem here  represented  by  the  Beast  and  by  Babylon,  are  prin- 
ciples of  salvation  by  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  merits  of 
man,  consequently  there  is  no  element  oirest  in  them.§ 

*  §  334. 

t  This  punishment  is  not  something  in  addition  to  the  drinking  of  the 
wine  of  wrath,  but  it  is  another  figure  of  the  same  thing ;  thus,  to  be  tor- 
mented as  described,  is  to  drink  of  this  cup  of  wrath. 

X  %  335. 

■?  As  it  is  with  the  principles,  so  it  must  be  with  those  who  profess  them. 

10* 


226  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

The  exhibition  of  the  true  character  of  the  principles 
thus  tried,  is  said  to  be  a  subject  for  the  patiei^e  of  the 
saints  ;*  figuratively  referring  to  the  souls  under  the  altar, 
who,  calling  for  the  avengmg  of  their  blood  "  on  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,"  were  persuaded  to  wait  for  a 
short  season,  (Rev.  6  :  10,  11  ;)  the  blood  of  these  saints 
being  afterwards  found  amidst  the  ruins  of  Babylon. 
(Rev.  18  :  24.)  They  that  keep  the  commandments  of 
God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  are  so  spoken  of  as  witnesses 
having  these  commandments  and  this  faith  in  custody^ 
as  before  noticed  in  remarking  upon  Rev.  13  :  10. 

Opjoosite  to  those  who  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,  are 
those  that  "  die  in  the  Lord."f  The  kingdom  or  system 
of  the  Beast  is  here  contrasted  with  the  mystery  of  Christ; 
the  first  contains  no  element  of  rest.  In  the  last  the  true 
rest  is  found.  (Rev.  14  :  13.)  This  may  be  applied  to  the 
principles  of  Christ's  kingdom ;  they  are  principles  of  rest 
in  contradistinction  to  those  of  dependence  u]Don  works. 
But  the  "voice  from  heaven,"  heard  by  the  apostle  on 
this  occasion,  may  be  considered  in  the  light  of  a  chorus 
interposing,  as  was  sometimes  the  practice  in  the  Greek 
drama,  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  light  upon  the  myth 
of  the  representation  ;  especially  as  the  direction  to  write 
intimates  the  permanency  of  that  which  is  to  be  written. 
We  may  thus  be  justified  in  applying  the  declaration  not 
merely  to  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  system,  but  more 
particularly  to  those  who  profess,  and  act,  and  rest  upon 
them. 

If  depending  upon  their  own  merits,  either  to  fulfill  the  law  or  to  atone  for 
the  transgression  of  it,  they  act  consistently,  they  can  have  no  rest  in 
their  efforts  to  accomplish  the  work  they  undertake. 

*  ?  336.  +  S  337. 


THE   VOICE    FROM    HEAVEN.  227 

*'  Henceforth,"*  it  is  said,  (that  is,  the  want  of  any 
element  of  rest  in  the  system  of  the  Beast  and  his  image 
having  been  manifested,)  "  blessed,  or  haj^py,  are  the  dead 
that  die  in  the  Lord."  To  this  there  is  a  resj^onse  of  the 
Spirit,  equivalent  to  an  explanation  of  the  spirit-sense  of 
the  latter.  "Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest 
from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them ;"  or 
"  hut  their  works  do  follow  with  them."  It  is  suiBcient  to 
refer  to  the  writmgs  of  the  apostle  Paul  to  show  that  to 
die  in  the  Lord,  is,  in  Christ,  to  be  released  from  the  labor 
of  going  about  to  establish  one's  own  righteousness  by 
works  of  the  law;  and  that  the  works  of  the  disciple, 
^\\iGh.  foUoio  loithhim^  consist  in  the  "reasonable  service" 
of  gratitude  to  the  Benefactor  by  whose  fulfillment  of  the 
law,  this  position  of  rest  has  been  procured.f  The  works 
of  the  behever  in  Christ  being  a  consequence,  and  not  a 
cause  of  his  justification,  or  participation  in  the  vicarious 
sacrifice  of  his  Redeemer. 

The  want  of  rest  peculiar  to  the  Beast's  system,  as  thus 
declared  in  heaven,  is  exemplified  m  the  earthly  scene,  on 
the  pouring  out  of  the  fifth  vial,  (Rev.  16  :  10,)  and  the 
blessedness  of  the  rest  provided  for  in  the  system  of  the 
Gospel  is  seen  in  the  ample  provision  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  as  illustrated  by  the  description  given  of  the  Holy 
City  at  the  close  of  the  vision. 

The  expression,  henceforth^  reminds  us  of  the  words  of 
our  Lord  to  Nathaniel,  (John  1  :  51  :)  "Henceforth  ye 
shall  see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels  (messengers)  of  God 

*  §  338. 

t  Rom.  6:3-5;  7:4;    Gal.  2  :  19,  20  ;    Col.  2  :  20  ;  3  :  3  j    Rom.  12:1 
2  Cor.  5  :  15. 


228  THE   BEALED    BOOK 

ascending  and  descending  vpo7i  (concerning)  the  Son  of 
Man,"  evidently  referring  to  that  which  was  about  to  be 
revealed  in  the  writings  of  the  evangelists  and  apostles — 
the  messengers  alluded  to.  So  here,  the  appearance  of 
the  Son  of  Man  on  the  white  cloud,  the  harvest  and  vin- 
tage, are  causes  of  the  blesssedness  alluded  to. 

The  commencement  of  our  Saviour's  ministration  was  a 
crisis,  in  which  the  harvest  of  the  earth  was  said  to  be 
ripe,  corresponding  with  this  crisis,  the  madness  of  the 
system  of  works  having  been  exposed,  and  the  opposite 
position  of  rest  declared  ;  one  hke  unto  the  Son  of  Man  is 
seen  upon  a  white  cloud,  (Rev.  14  :  13,)  having  on  his 
head  a  golden  cro^Ti,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle  ;  the 
same  foi-m  as  that  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candle- 
sticks, (Rev.  1  :  13.)  There  he  appeared  as  presiding  over 
the  churches,  being  also  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  "  He 
that  Hveth  and  was  dead,  and  is  ahve  forevermore." 
'Now  he  appears  in  the  character  of  a  reaper;*  the 
crown  of  gold  being  indicative  both  of  his  truth,  and  of 
his  success  in  the  work  in  which  he  is  engaged.  The 
white  cloud  and  the  crown  identify  him  also  Tvith  the  Rider 
of  the  white  horse,  who  is  to  be  considered  throughout  as 
on  his  career  of  conquest.  The  sharp  sickle,  as  a  figure, 
corresponds  with  that  of  the  sharp  sword  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  conqueror,  (Rev.  19  :  15,)  being  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit ;  the  instrument  of  '  exhibiting  the  spirit- 
sense  of  revelation  in  contradistinction  to  the  letter  alone. 
By  this  instrument,  it  appears  the  harvest  of  the  earth- 
system  is  to  be  reaped,  the  time  being  come  for  it  accord- 
ing to  the  call  of  the  angel  or  messenger  from  the  temjDle.f 

*  §'?  339,  340-841.  f  §  342. 


THE    HARVEST   AND    VINTAGE.  229 

The  errors  in  relation  to  the  worship  or  service  of  God 
have  reached  such  an  extent  in  the  earthly  system  of 
works  (founded  upon  the  Utter  of  revelation)  as  to  call 
for  their  eradication  by  an  exhibition  of  the  spirit-sense 
of  that  revelation  ;  figuratively,  a  gathering  of  the  harvest. 
"  He  that  sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his  sickle  on  the  earth, 
and  the  earth  was  reaped."  What  became  of  the  yield  or 
crop  is  not  stated.  It  was  not  perhaps  worth  stating,  as 
the  product  of  a  system,  of  justification  by  works  is  of  no 
avail.  The  earthly  system,  tried  by  the  spirit  of  revela- 
tion, like  its  vine,  afibrds  no  means  of  eternal  life.* 

The  true  view  of  divine  worship,  (the  temple)  having 
been  thus  vindicated  by  the  result  of  the  harvest  of  the 
earth,  showing  that  no  works  of  righteousness  that  we 
have  done  can  qualify  us  for  appearing  in  the  presence  of 
God,  or  can  be  considered  strictly  the  service  due  him, 
another  messenger,  from  the  same  element  of  divme 
worship,  with  a  like  sharp  sickle,  (the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,)  is  loudly  called  upon  by  a  messenger  from  the 
altar^  having  power  over  fire  (the  fire  of  the  altar  appar- 
ently) to  apply  his  sharp  sickle  to  the  gathering  of  the 
vine  of  the  earth — her  grapes  being  fully  ripe. 

The  errors  now  to  be  corrected,  are  seemingly  those 
pertaining  particularly  to  the  element  of  propitiation,!  (the 
atonement  of  Christ.)  The  altar,  as  we  have  akeady 
noticed,  is  a  figure  of  the  Word  or  purpose  of  God,  which 
Jesus  Christ  came  to  fulfill  by  the  offering  of  himself. 

*  The  picture  presented  here  corresponds  with  what  is  said  of  the  harvest 
of  the  world.  Matt.  13  :  37-40,  except  that  the  apocalyptic  earth  appears  to 
yield  tares  only— the  1M,0(>0  (good)  not  being  included. 

t  §343. 


230  THE   SEAIJirD    BOOK. 

The  fire  from  the  altar  is  a  revelation  of  that  word  or 
purpose,  in  respect  to  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ, 
(the  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,)  the  true  vine,  of  which 
the  vine  of  the  earth  is  a  pretended  substitute.  The 
atonement  of  Christ  is  elsewhere  alluded  to  as  the  fruit 
of  the  vine,  (Matt.  26  :  29.)  The  grapes  or  fruit,  of  the 
vine  of  the  earthy  must  therefore  be  a  proposed  substitute 
for  that  atonement,  by  certain  works  or  pretended  merito- 
rious acts  of  man.  The  test  or  trial  of  these  pretensions 
is  accordingly  here  represented  under  the  figure  of  a  vin- 
tage. The  instrument  of  this  vintage  is  the  sharp  sickle, 
the  spirit-sense  of  divine  revelation,  of  the  same  character 
as  the  fire  from  the  altar,  which,  on  the  opening  of  the 
seventh  seal,  when  cast  upon  the  earth,  ehcited  the  threat- 
enings  of  Sinai.* 

The  vine  of  the  earth  is  gathered,  cut  up  root  and 
branch,  and  with  all  its  fruit  cast  into  the  great  wine- 
press of  the  wrath  of  God.  The  test  is  here  presented  of 
the  ability  of  any  earthly  pretension  or  means  of  proj^itia- 
tion  to  meet  the  judicial  action  of  the  broken  law. 

The  wine-press  is  trodden  without  the  city,  as  Christ 
also  suflered  without  the  gates ;  the  wi'ath  of  God  not. 
being  an  element  of  the  covenant  or  arrangement  of  grace 
symbohzed  by  the  city.  The  holy  city,  we  presume,  is 
here  alluded  to.  It  is  only  out  of  this  covenant  that  the 
power  of  the  broken  law  is  felt. 

"And  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even  unto  the 


*  The  time  of  the  vintage,  like  that  of  the  harvest,  is  now  come,  the 
errors  represented  especially  in  the  reign  of  the  Beast  and  his  image,  hav- 
ing reached  their  maturity. 


THE   HARVEST   AND    VINTAGE.  231 

horse-bridles  or  bits,  for  the  space  of  a  thousand  six  hun- 
dred furlongs."*  This  might  be  passed  upon  naerely  as  a 
hyperboHcal  expression  indicating  the  immensity  of  the 
propitiation  requisite  to  atone  for  the  transgression  of  the 
law  of  God ;  but  the  mention  of  the  horse-bridles  directs 
our  attention  to  "  the  armies  of  heaven  on  white  horses," 
afterwards  described  as  led  into  the  contest  with  the 
Beast  and  his  aUies,  by  Him  who  was  "  clothed  in  a  vest- 
ure dipped  in  blood ;"  and  who  accordingly  may  be  sup- 
posed to  have  just  trodden  the  wine-press  with  his  mount- 
ed forces.  So  a  development  of  the  folly  of  all  earthly 
pretensions  to  meet  the  broken  law,  is  a  preparation  for 
exhibiting  the  incapability  of  the  mystery  of  error,  repre- 
sented by  the  Beast,  to  mthstand  the  sharp  sword  out  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  term  furlong  is  merely  an  appropriate  figure  of 
land-measure,  as  the  cubit  is  for  the  measure  of  buildings ; 
and  1600  being  the  square  of  40,  and  the  earth  bemg  sup- 
posed anciently  to  be  a  square,  the  allusion  seems  to  be  to 
the  whole  surface  of  the  earth,  as  a  figure  of  the  entire 
earthly  system,  particularly  in  reference  to  its  pretended 
means  of  atonement.f 

These  are  representations  in  heaven,  corresponding  with 
an  insight  into  the  divine  councils  afforded  the  apostle  as 
a  privileged  spectator.  Something  like  a  counterpart  of 
these  scenes  is  yet  to  be  exhibited  on  the  earth.J 

*  §  344. 

t  We  find  the  i^Tva  forty  almost  always  applied  in  Scripture  to  periods 
of  humiliation  and  trial,  to  which  there  may  be  some  allusion  in  the  figure 
here. 

X  %  345-347. 


232  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 


CHAPTER    V. 

CHORUS,    SONG   OF   MOSES,    SONG   OF    THE    LAltfB VIALS   OF 

WEATH   FROM   THE   TEMPLE THE    SIX   FIRST   TESTS THE 

FORCES      OF     THE      EARTH      SUMMONED     TO     THE     GREAT 
BATTLE SEVENTH   TEST    TO   THE   AIR. 

Act  V.    Scene :  in  EDeaven. 

We  now  come  to  another  choral  scene  (Rev.  15  :  1)  of 
many  voices,  equivalent  to  the  fourth  stasimo7i  of  the 
Greeks.  The  scene  is  still  in  heaven,  but  the  introduction 
of  the  chorus  divides  the  matter  between  this  and  the  last 
chorus  or  exodus  (Rev.  19  :  4-6)  as  one  act  with  its  scenic 
subdivisions. 

The  apostle  speaks  of  what  he  now  sees  as  another  great 
sign,*  or  symbolic  rej^resentation,  as  in  reference  to  the 
great  signs  of  the  woman  and  the  dragon,  before  seen  on 
the  opening  of  the  temple  in  heaven.  (Rev.  12  :  1-4.) 
This  sign  is  "  great  and  marvellous,"  or  particularly  im- 
portant, as  being  an  exhibition  of  the  last  tests  apphed  to 
the  earthly  system  and  its  elements.  "  Seven  angels  (mes- 
sengers) having  the  seven  plagues,"  (tests,)  "  the  last,"  so 
styled  because  in  them  is  completed  the  exhibition  of  the 
wrath  of  God.f    Before  gi™g  the  particulars  of  the  appli- 

*  §  347. 

\  The  wrath  of  God  and  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  are  two  expressions  of  the 
same  thing.  The  words  rendered  wrath  differ  in  the  original,  but  are  nearly 
synonymouB. 


CHORAL   SONGS    OF    MOSES   AND   THE   LAMB.  233 

cation  of  these  tests,  the  apostle  describes  the  choral  scene, 
Avhich  may  be  considered  an  introduction  to  the  subsequent 
exhibition. 

A  sea  of  glass*  or  crystal  is  seen  mingled  with  fire,  upon 
which  those  stand,  who  have  gotten  the  victory  over  the 
Beast,  and  his  image,  and  his  mark,  and  the  number  of  his 
name.  These,  with  the  harps  of  God,  sing  the  song  of 
Moses  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb.  It  is  evident,  that  the 
action  of  this  chorus  forereaches  upon  what  is  afterwards 
exhibited  on  earth,  while  in  heaven  it  is  contemplated  as 
ah*eady  done. 

We  have  as  yet  had  no  account  of  any  victory  obtained 
over  the  Beast,  but  we  find,  in  what  may  be  termed  the 
catastrophe  of  the  representation,  such  a  victory  is  ob- 
tained by  the  Rider  of  the  white  horse,  followed  by  the 
armies  of  heaven.  We  can  not  suppose  the  Beast  to  have 
been  previously  conquered  by  some  other  powers.  This 
then  must  be  the  victory  alluded  to.  This  Rider  of  the 
white  horse  is  called  the  Word  of  God,  (Rev.  19  :  13.) 
The  armies  of  heaven  followmg  him  on  white  horses  must 
be  the  elements  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  of  which 
that  Word  is  the  impersonation.  These  therefore,  by  the 
action  of  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  and  by  the  fire  of  the 
Word,  are  those  which  have  gained  the  victory  over  the 
adversary  of  the  cross,  and  over  his  image,  (Babylon.)  f 

These  elements  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  through  the 

*  §  348. 

t  Babylon  as  the  harlot,  was  destroyed  by  the  ten  horns  of  the  law,  operat- 
ing with  the  fire  of  the  revealed  word;  as  a  city  she  was  likewise  destroyed 
by  the  same  fire,  but  as  th\a  Jire  is  a  figure  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  victory 
is  still  the  same. 


234  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

revelation  given  of  them  in  the  sacred  Scrij)tures,  (the  harps 
of  God,)  virtually  offer  the  tribute  of  praise,  a  summary  of 
which  is  here  given.  They  stand  upon  a  sea  of  glass,  ex- 
hibiting their  ascendency  over  the  element  of  judicial 
wrath,  which  instead  of  being  to  them,  as  to  the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth,  a  sea  with  its  waves  roaring,  is  a  foundation 
of  gratitude  and  adoration,  exhibiting  in  its  smooth  and 
transparent  surface  the  clearness  and  consistency  of  divine 
judgment;  as  in  its  subjection  to  the  power  of  that  incar- 
nate Word,  which  could  say  to  the  tumultuous  wave, 
"  peace,  be  still,  and  there  was  a  perfect  calm."  The  song 
of  Moses  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb  comprehend  all  that  is 
revealed  in  the  legal  and  gospel  disi^ensations,  of  which 
the  beginning  and  the  ending  constitute  that  exhibition  of 
sovereign  grace,  in  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  by  the 
revelation  of  which  the  adversary  of  the  cross,  and  all  con- 
nected with  him  are  overcome. 

The  purport  of  these  songs,*  or  that  which  is  involved 
in  the  two-fold  revelation  alluded  to,  is  to  show  the  great 
and  marvellous  works  of  the  Almighty.  Not  merely  the 
works  of  the  material  miiverse,  but  especially  that  marvel- 
lous work  of  redemption,  in  which  the  elements  of  divine 
justice  and  mercy  are  reconciled.  Thus  showing  the  justice 
and  truth,  the  unchangeable  perfection  and  consistency  of 
the  King  of  saints,  and  the  obligation  of  all  to  fear  him,  and 
to  glorify  his  name,  in  view  of  his  perfect  holmess,  as  ma- 
nifested in  this  plan  of  justification. 

As  the  Lord  God  Almighty  only  is  the  object  of  this 
ascription  of  glory  and  praise,  so  He  only  is  said  to  be 

*  §S  349-352. 


CHORAi   SONGS    OF   MOSES   AND   THE   LAMB.  235 

holy.*  The  song  of  the  Lamb  coinciding  in  the  ascription, 
we  may  consider  the  action  of  this  chorus  as  contemplating 
the  end^  when  the  Son  shall  have  given  up  the  kingdom  to 
the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all. 

f  After  the  conclusion  of  these  songs,  and  apparently  as 
a  result  of  them,  the  apostle  beheld  the  temple  of  the  ta- 
bernacle of  the  testimony  opened  in  heaven  ;  the  effect  of 
hearing  and  understanding  the  purport  of  these  songs  of 
Moses  and  of  the  Lamb  being  equivalent  to  an  opening  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony ;  a  revelation  of  gospel 
mysteries.  The  development  now  at  hand,  seems  to  be 
that  which  pertains  more  particularly  to  an  exposure  of 
errors  opposed  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  and  the 
fate  ultimately  attending  them. 

The  issuing  of  the  seven  angels  from  the  temple  is  an  in- 
dication of  the  near  relation  of  their  functions  to  the  ele- 
ment of  divine  worship ;  the  errors  in  question  being  such 
as  are  adverse  to  the  worship  of  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

The  array  of  the  angels,  in  "  pure  and  white  linen,"  may 
le  termed  then-  livery,  as  messengers  of  that  divine  right- 
eousness, by  which  alone  the  disciple  can  be  justified ;  so 
their  golden  girdles  are  the  evidence  of  the  truth  of  their 
mission. 

The  vials  of  wrath  are  given  out  by  the^rs^  of  the  four 
living  creatures,!  (the  attribute  of  divine  justice.)  The 
vials  themselves  are  of  gold,  an  evidence  of  truth  in  their 
composition.  Thus  also  the  test  represented  by  the  effusion 
of  these  vials  upon  the  objects  tried  by  them,  is  equivalent 

*  The  Greek  term  rendered  Tioly  in  this  place,  signifies  a  holiness  of  quality, 
being  different  from  that  which  signifies  a  holiness  of  position,  (consecration.) 
t  §  353.  X  §  354. 


236  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

to  that  accomplished  by  the  immediate  comparison  or  con- 
tact of  revealed  truth  with  error. 

The  temple*  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  glory  of 
God,  and  from  his  power.  Here  there  is  evidence  of  a 
process  going  on  in  the  preparation  of  the  contents  of  these 
vials.  The  process  is  in  the  temple,  the  preparation  is 
therefore  something  required  for  the  temple  service.  The 
agents  in  making  the  preparation  are  the  glory  of  God 
and  his  power.  The  test  must  be  therefore  such  as  is  re- 
quired for  the  manifestation  of  this  glory,  and  for  the 
establishment  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  sovereignty. 

As,  if  a  disciple  were  saved  by  his  own  merits,  or  justified 
by  his  own  works,  the  glory  would  redound  to  him  and  not  to 
God;  so,  unless  it  be  shown  that  the  sinner  is  saved  by  the 
interposition  of  divine  righteousness  (the  merits  of  Christ) 
in  his  behalf,  the  power  of  God  in  this  work  of  salvation 
can  not  be  manifested.  In  either  of  these  cases,  without 
such  manifestation,  God  can  not  be  regarded  as  the  only 
source  of  dependence,  and  can  not  be  worshipped  ui  spirit 
and  in  truth  ;  whence,  it  is  represented  that  no  one  could 
enter  the  temple,  till  the  seven  angels  with  their  seven 
tests  had  performed  the  functions  assigned  them.  Ac- 
cordingly,f  a  voice  from  the  temple  directs  them  to  go 
(immediately)  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God 
upon  the  earth.  As  if  it  had  been  said,  "  Let  no  time  be 
lost  in  applyiug  these  tests  to  this  earthly  system  of  error." 

Scene:  The  Eaeth.     (Rev.  16  :  2-21.) 

The  first  vial  was  poured  upon  the  earth,  or  land^  the 
earthly  platform  of  justification  by  works,  from  which  the 

*  §  355.  t  §  356. 


THE   FIKST    AND    SECOND   TEST.  237 

false  prophet  emanated.  "  And  there  was  a  noisome  and 
grievous  sore  upon  them  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast, 
and  them  which  worshipped  his  image." 

The  application  of  these  tests*  is  not  a  cause  of  the  evil 
exhibited :  but  it  has  the  effect,  as  in  a  chemical  analysis, 
of  showing  the  true  character  of  the  matter  subjected  to 
the  process ;  or  as  in  medical  treatment,  a  certain  applica- 
tion of  cold  water  to  the  body  is  said  to  bring  out  sores 
upon  the  surface,  evidences  of  bad  habit  or  diseased  state 
of  the  system.  The  final  trial  or  torture  of  these  ele- 
ments by  fire  and  brimstone  is  yet  to  be  represented.  In 
the  mean  time,  this  effusion  of  divine  wrath  exhibits  their 
nature  and  tendency.  The  men  (inhabiters  of  the  earth) 
bearing  the  mark  of  the  beast,  are  principles  of  self- 
righteousness,  bearing  the  characteristic  mark  of  hostility 
to  the  divine  j)lan  of  salvation  by  grace.  They  belong  to 
the  system,  or  mystery  of  iniquity,  represented  here  by  the 
adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  As  principles  of  a  false 
system  of  atonement  or  propitiation,  they  are  worshippers 
in  the  service  of  the  image  of  the  beast,  (Babylon,)  partici- 
pating in  the  cup  of  the  harlot.  The  development  pro- 
duced by  the  test,  reveals  the  impurity  (mixture)  of  mo- 
tive and  hatefiil  hypocrisy,  peculiar  to  these  doctrines  or 
principles.  The  sore  corresponds,  apparently,  as  a  symbol 
of  uncleann'ess,  with  the  leprosy  of  ancient  times  (a  dis- 
ease under  the  skin)  and  with  the  character  of  those  who 
were  compared  by  Jesus  Christ  to  whited  sepulchres,  in- 
wardly full  of  dead  men's  bones  and  all  uncleanness. 

The  second  testf  is  appHed  to  the  earthly  element  of 
judicial  wi*ath  (the  sea) — ^the  penalty  or  requisition  of  the 

"   §  357.  t  §  S5S. 


238  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

broken  law.  This  element,  in  the  estimation  of  the 
dwellers  upon  the  earth,  is  something  of  a  trivial  charac- 
ter ;  its  requisitions  being  easily  satisfied  by  certain  meri- 
torious acts  of  hmnan  performance.  The  result  of  the 
test  shows  that  the  law  of  God,  once  broken,  can  be  satis- 
fied with  nothing  less  than  the  death  (the  eternal  con- 
demnation) of  the  transgressor.  The  sea  becomes  bloody 
and  every  living  soul  exposed  to  its  action  dies  in  it. 

The  appHcation  of  the  third  test*  to  the  earthly  rivers 
and  foimtains  of  water,  is  followed  by  a  like  result.  These 
inventions,  pecuhar  to  the  earthly  system,  for  washing 
away  the  gmlt  of  sin,  being  of  a  legal  character,  designed 
to  satisfy  the  requisitions  of  the  broken  law,  are  all  shown 
to  be  of  the  same  nature  as  the  sea :  they  become  blood, 
calling  for  the  transgressor's  condemnation. 

The  justice  of  the  retribution  with  which  these  errors 
are  visited,  is  here  set  forth  by  the  angel  of  the  waters  ;\ 
a  figure  of  all  that  is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  atonement  of  Christ  and  the  necessity  of  it. 

The  principles  of  the  earthly  system  of  self-propitiation, 
have  sustained  themselves  by  depriving  the  language  of 
the  written  word  of  its  true  sense,  its  spirit  Or  blood. 
That  true  sense  of  revelation,  on  the  other  hand,  now 
shows  the  real  character  of  these  earthly  elements  of  ab- 
lution from  sin,  as  it  is  said  :  "  They  have  shed  the  blood 
of  saints  and  prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood 
to  drink,  for  they  have  deserved  it ;"  a  declaration  re- 
sponded to  by  a  voice  fi'om  the  altar :  the  sacrificial  ele- 
ment of  the  true  plan  of  propitiation. 

The  blood  of  saints  and  prophets  alluded  to,  is  appar- 

*  §  359.  t  §  360, 


THE    FOURTH    TEST.  239 

ently,  that  for  the  shedding  of  which,  the  souls  under  the 
same  altar  were  crying  for  vengeance,  and  that,  too,  which 
was  found  in  the  ruins  of  Babylon.  The  petitions  of  the 
souls  are  accordingly  here  answered ;  taking  this  represent- 
ation in  connection  with  the  destruction  of  Babylon, 
which  is  another  figure  of  the  same  just  retribution. 

Immediately  after  the  interposition  of  these  two  choral 
voices,  that  from  the  angel  of  the  waters,  and  that  from 
the  altar,  the  fourth  angel  pours  out  his  vial*  upon  (concern- 
ing) the  sun.  This  test  exhibits  the  true  character  of  the 
Sim  of  righteousness,  in  its  action  upon  all  vain  pretensions 
of  human  merits,  figuratively  termed  men  of  the  earth. 
These  pretensions  correspond  with  the  riches  of  the  Lao- 
diceans ;  and  with  those  compared  by  another  apostle  to 
the  flower  of  the  gras^  of  the  field ;  concerning  which 
it  is  said,  "  the  sun  is  no  sooner  risen  with  a  scorching 
heat  but  it  withereth  the  grass,  and  the  flower  thereof 
falleth,  and  the  grace  of  the  fashion  of  it  perisheth."  So  it 
is  with  the  men  (principles)  of  the  earthly  system  of  justifi- 
cation by  works.  These  principles,  themselves,  are  a 
blasphemy  of  the  name  of  God,  as  they  tend  to  exalt  the 
name  (reputation)  of  the  worker  to  an  equahty  with  that 
of  God :  so  we  may  suppose  here  the  blasphemy  of  these 
men  to  have  existed  before,  but  it  is  not  till  the  test  is  ap- 
plied, by  a  true  exhibition  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness, 
that  this  blasphemous  character  is  exhibited. 

The  men  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  not  merely  on 
account  of  this  last  plague,  but  apparently  on  account  of 
all  of  them ;  the  tests  all  exposing  the  blasphemy  of  the 

*  §§  361,362. 


240  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

pretensions  alluded  to.  They  rlpented^  not,  however,  to 
give  him  glory.  The  tests  do  not  operate,  nor  were  they 
intended  to  operate,  as  a  corrective,  their  design  being 
only  to  develop  and  expose  the  true  character  of  the 
errors  referred  to.  The  vice  of  these  principles  consists 
in  their  tendency  to  deprive  God  of  the  glory  of  his  work 
of  salvation,  ascribing  that  glory  to  the  power  of  man, 
which  is  due  only  to  the  power  of  divine  righteousness 
interposed  in  behalf  of  the  disciple. 

The  fifth  angelf  poured  out  his  vial  upon  (concerning) 
the  throne  of  the  beast.  This  test  is  applied  to  the  pre- 
tension of  the  beast  to  sovereignty,  a  pretension,  as  we 
have  seen,  professedly  sustained  by  the  power  of  the  ten 
(legal)  horns,  and  the  great  authority  of  the  accuser;  the 
throne  of  the  beast  being,  in  reality,  equivalent  to  that 
of  Satan.  The  result  of  the  test  shows  the  kingdom  of 
the  beast  to  be  full  of  darkness.  There  is  not  an  element 
of  light,  or  true  righteousness,  in  it. 

As  this  test  brings  out  the  true  character  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  beast's  kingdom,  or  reign,  they  are  repre- 
sented as  criminals  upon  the  rack,  from  whom  a  confession 
of  truth  is  extorted  by  torture, "  they  gnawed  their  tongues 
for  pain."  Their  blasphemy  (such  as  we  have  just  noticed) 
is  exposed  rather  than  excited  by  the  action  of  the  test ; 
their  sores  corresponding  with  the  grievous  sore  exposed 
by  the  action  of  the  first  test.  As  in  the  last  case,  they 
repented  not,  the  operation  of  the  test  being  intended  to  go 
no  further  than  to  expose  the  error  and  its  blasphemous 

*  We  use  throughout  the  term  repent  or  repentance  in  the  sense  of  the 
Greek  expression,  which  signifies  a  change  of  mind  or  views. 

\  %  368. 


THE   SIXTH   TEST.  241 

character,  the  intimation  seemingly  being  given,  that 
the  only  corrective  to  be  administered,  is  the  entire  over- 
throw of  the  whole  system,  or  kingdom,  with  its  elements, 
as  finally  exhibited  in  the  perdition  of  the  beast,  the  con- 
flagration of  Babylon,  and  the  fleeing  away  of  the  old 
earth  and  heaven. 

The  beast,  as  the  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  hypo- 
critically maintains  the  supremacy  of  the  law  over  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace,  through  the 
vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ.  In  doing  this,  he  maintains 
that  the  righteousness  (light)  of  his  kingdom  comes  by 
the  law ;  consequently  that  Christ  died  in  vain,  or  to  no 
purpose ;  thus  denying  to  God  the  glory  and  power 
of  the  work  of  salvation,  (Gal.  2  :  21.)  The  test  concern- 
ing the  sun  shows  that  there  is  no  such  righteousness 
(light)  as  is  pretended  in  the  beast-system,  (it  is  full  of 
darkness,)  and  thus  vindicates  the  power  and  glory  of  the 
God  of  our  salvation. 

The  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great 
river  Euphrates.*  The  character  of  this  great  river  has 
already  been  exhibited  in  the  legal  elements  issuing  fi.'om 
it,  (Rev.  9  :  16,)  which,  so  far  from  sustaining  the  princi- 
ples of  the  earthly  system,  go  directly  to  destroy  them. 

Here  there  is  a  further  object  in  view,  that  of  showing 
the  drying  up  of  this  stream,  together  with  the  con- 
sequence attending  it. 

The  Euphrates  representing  the  great  earthly  system  of 
atonement,  (by  the  works  of  man,)  the  test  applied  to  it 
shows  the  entire  folly  of  the  pretension ;  an  operation  fig- 
uratively expressed  as  the  drying  up  of  the  river.     By 

*  I  360. 
11 


242  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

thus  depriving  the  earthly  system  of  its  grand  resource  of 
propitiation,  the  preparation  is  made  for  the  action  of  the 
Sun  of  righteousness,  as  revealed  by  the  Word,  in  destroy- 
ing the  systems  and  pretensions ,  opposed  to  that  Word. 
Thus,  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates  prepares  the  way  of 
the  kings  of  the  east,  or,  according  to  the  Greek,  "  the 
kings /rom  the  risings  of  the  sun. 

Besides  the  general  symbolical  character  of  the  Euphra- 
tes, as  the  great  river  of  the  earth,  it  is  also  to  be  consid- 
ered, as  it  UteraUy  was,  the  great  river  of  the  empire  of 
Babylon ;  and  as  the  harlot  Babylon  was  the  image  of  the 
beast,  and  as  such  is  to  be  identified  with  him,  so  we  may 
take  the  kingdom  of  Babylon  to  be  symbolically  the  king- 
dom of  the  beast.  Babylon,  as  a  woman,  represents,  in 
certain  particulars,  the  character  of  the  beast,  of  which 
she  is  the  image.  So  the  city  or  empire  Babylon  rej^re- 
sents,  in  certain  particulars,  the  features  of  the  kingdom 
of  the  beast.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in,  the  Scriptures,  differ- 
ent figures  are  employed  to  represent  different  character- 
istics of  the  same  thing,  or  the  same  thing  under  different 
aspects.  Corresponding  with  the  figure  here  used,  as  pro- 
fane history  informs  us,  the  city  Babylon  was  taken  by  its 
besiegers,  through  the  drying  up  of  a  portion  of  the  river 
running  through  it,  that  same  night  in  which,  according 
to  the  Scripture,  Belshazzar  was  slain  and  his  kingdom 
given  to  another. 

Pursuing  the  analogy,  we  may  say  that  when  the  views 
of  atonement  peculiar  to  the  beast  system  or  mystery, 
are  manifested  to  be  erroneous,  the  way  is  prepared  for 
the  destruction  of  the  system  itself. 

The  exhibition  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials  seems  sus- 


THKEIE  UNCLEAN   SPIBITS.  243 

pended  here  for  the  purpose  of  allowing  the  apostle  to 
witness  another  spectacle,  apparently  preparatory  to 
the  effusion  of  the  seventh  and  last  vial,  as  it  affords  a 
view  of  the  state  of  things  at  that  crisis.  As  if  the  dragon 
and  his  coadjutors,  reduced  to  an  extremity  by  the 
recent  trials,  were  about  to  make  one  great  and  final  effort 
for  the  maintenance  of  theii'  power  ;  the  expiration  of  the 
figurative  term  of  forty-two  months,  being  at  hand. 

The  apostle  saw  three  spirits,  imclean,  as  frogs  are  un- 
clean,* "  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false 
prophet ;"  the  spirits  of  demons^  working  miracles,  going 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world, 
to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
Almighty.  "And  he,"  (God  Almighty,)  it  is  added, 
"  did  gather  them  together  in  a  place  caUed  in  the  He- 
brew tongue,  Armageddon." 

In  the  midst  of  this  relation  there  is  interposed  a  voice, 
as  fi'om  Him  who  thus  gathers  them  together,  saying, 
"  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they 
see  his  shame." 

Frogs  are  LeviticaUy  unclean,  fi^om  their  amphibious  cha- 
racter ;  they  thus  represent  doctrines,  or  the  spirit  of  doc- 
trines of  a  mixed  character,  as  partly  of  self-justification 
or  self-atonement,  and  partly  of  a  professed  dependence 
upon  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  corresponding  with  what 
might  be  spoken  of  as  a  mixed  garment  of  salvation,  com- 
posed partly  of  divine  and  partly  of  human  righteousness, 
partly  of  the  merits  of  Christ  and  partly  of  the  pretended 

*  §  365. 


244  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

merits  of  the  disciple — a  sort  of  linsey  woolsey  garment^ 
typically  prohibited  under  the  Levitical  law.  (See 
Leviticus  19  :  19.)  The  plausibility  of  these  hypocrit- 
ical doctrines  in  leading  the  mind  away  from  a  just  view 
of  God's  plan  of  redemption  by  gmce^  may  be  easily  com- 
prehended ;  for  which  reason  spirits  of  the  miclean  charac- 
ter here  spoken  of,  were  the  best  instruments  for  prevail- 
ing upon  the  kings  of  the  whole  world,  (Gentile  princi- 
ples,) as  well  as  of  the  earth,  (legal  principles,)  to  unite 
their  forces  in  contending  agamst  the  Word  of  God.  The 
language  of  the  dragon  is  that  of  legal  accusation ;  the 
language  of  the  beast  is  that  of  self-justification  or  self- 
dependence,  and  the  language  of  the  false  prophet  is  that 
of  misinterpretation.  These,  in  then-  known  characters, 
having  lost  theii*  influence,  the  efibrt  is  now  made  to  dis- 
guise their  real  tendency  by  a  certain  mixture  of  evangeli- 
cal truth ;  as,  by  a  hke  mixture,  (frogs,)  doctrinal  prmci- 
ples  derived  from  the  letter  of  revelation,  and  others  rest- 
ing on  the  platform  of  works,  may  be  brought  to  bear,  as 
auxiliaries  of  the  adversary  of  the  aross^  against  the  divine 
purpose  of  grace. 

These  spirits  are  appropriately  termed  those  of  de- 
mo?is,*  because  the  working  of  the  demoniacal  spirit  is 
that  of  causing  the  possessed  to  see  things  in  a  different 
Hght  from  what  they  really  are;  as  the  tombs  of  old 
times  were  apparently  mistaken  by  demoniacs  for  taberna- 
cles or  suitable  places  of  habitation.  Figuratively  speak- 
ing, we  may  suppose  these  spirits  of  demons  were  sent  to 
influence  the  kings  into  a  behef  that  the  signs  they  wrought 
were  evidences  of  the  correctness  of  their  mission :    as 


SUMMONS  TO    BATTLE.  245 

the  false  prophet  himself  wrought  miracles  in  the  sight 
ofmen^  although  they  were  not  really  such. 

These  ambassadors  of  Satan  and  of  the  beast  are  suc- 
cessful, it  seems,  in  their  mission ;  but  they  are  so  because 
they  are  instruments  of  God  Almighty  in  briuging  about 
the  purpose  he  has  m  view.  J3e*  gathers  these  kings  and 
their  forces  together  for  their  final  overthrow,  ia  the  most 
suitable  place  or  position  to  answer  the  end  he  designs  to 
accomplish.  That  place,  according  to  the  interpretation 
given  to  the  Hebrew  appellation,  (Armageddon,)  is  the 
Mount  of  the  Gospel — a  field  of  battle  which  neither  the 
dragon,  nor  the  beast,  nor  the  false  prophet,  would  have 
chosen,  but  the  Sovereign  of  all  so  overrules  their  opera- 
tions.f  The  battle  itself  is  yet  to  be  exhibited,  towards 
the  close  of  the  vision,  but  in  the  mean  time,  the  admoni- 
tion of  the  coming  as  a  thief  suddenly  and  when  least  ex- 
pected, seems  to  be  given  here  as  something  in  close  con- 
nection with  the  gathering  together,  and  its  results ;  as  if 
this  advent  or  coming  was  to  correspond  with  the  time  and 
place  of  the  battle.| 

The  shame  alluded  to  m  the  warning,  we  suppose  to 
consist  in  the  want  of  suitable  clothing  or  covering  ;||  as 
the  shame  of  the  guest  at  the  marriage  feast  consisted  in 
his  want  of  a  wedding  robe,  so  the  shame  of  a  soldier  when 
summoned  to  the  field,  would  consist  in  his  being  found 
without  his  armor.     The  warning  corresponds  with  that 


t  The  contest  in  this  field  being  equivalent  to  bringing  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel  to  bear  directly  upon  the  errors  represented,  the  appropriateness  of 
the  appellation  must  be  evident. 

X  §  367.  II  §  368. 


246  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

given  in  the  epistles  to  the  churches;  and  if,  as  before  sup- 
posed, the  coming  there  referred  to,  be  equivalent  to  the 
unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  result  of  the  battle  of  the 
great  day  of  God  Almighty  must  have  a  near  relation  to 
the  same  event.  The  soldiers  engaged  in  that  battle  on 
the  side  of  the  Word  of  God,  are  found  with  their  gar- 
ments on,  being  clothed  in  fine  linen  white  and  clean ;  the 
array  of  divine  righteousness,  corresponding  with  the 
breast-plate  or  cuii-ass  of  the  Christian  armor  referred  to 
by  the  apostle  Paul.     (Eph.  6  :  14.) 

All  preparations  having  been  now  apparently  made,  the 
seventh  and  last  test  is  applied  to  the  air.^  This  opera- 
tion being  that  of  the  last  vial,  of  the  last  of  the  seven 
trumpets,  of  the  last  of  the  seven  seals,  there  seems  to  be 
a  peculiar  importance  to  be  attached  to  it;  especially, 
when  we  call  to  mind  the  declaration  of  the  mighty  angel, 
(Rev.  10  :  7,)  that  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  finished, 
or  fully  developed,  in  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trum- 
pet, of  which  the  present  test  furnishes  the  conclusion  ; 
the  result  of  it  being  applicable  to  the  whole  of  the  re- 
mainder of  the  vision. 

As  we  have  before  noticed,  the  air  literally  being  the 
medium  through  which  we  contemplate  the  heavenly 
bodies,  as  such,  it  symbolizes,  apocalyptically,  the  medium 
of  construction  or  interpretation  through  which  we  con- 
template the  truths  of  divine  revelation,  as  we  have  them 
in  the  written  word.f 

The  Greeks  distinguished  between  air  and  ether,  the 
latter  beiag  applied  to  the  pure  atmosphere  of  the 
heavenly  regions.      The   term   here   rendered    air    ap- 

*  §  870.  t  See  p.  186, 


SEVENTH   AND   LAST   TEST.  247 

plies  to  the  grosser  atmosphere  surrounding  our  globe  of 
earth,  which  we  know  to  be  always  more  or  less  affected 
by  exhalations,  or  emanations  from  the  sphere  with  which 
it  is  connected.  Such  may  be  said  to  be  the  medium  of 
construction  surrounding  the  earthly  system  of  justifica- 
tion by  works.  It  is  more  or  less  affected  by  the  views  of 
the  earthly  platform,  in  respect  to  the  way  of  salvation  or 
justification  by  the  works  or  merits  of  men.  The  medium 
of  contemplation  itself,  is  besides,  not  of  the  i>urest 
quaUty ;  there  is  thus,  in  the  contemplation  of  heavenly 
objects  of  a  doctrinal  character,  a  continual  action  and 
reaction.  Our  views  of  the  importance  of  worhs^  for  ex- 
ample, as  a  means  of  salvation,  affect  the  construction  we 
put  upon  the  language  of  Scripture  ;  and  the  construction 
we  are  in  the  habit  of  putting  upon  the  sacred  wi-itings, 
affects  the  doctrinal  views  we  form  from  them.  Hence, 
as  it  is  well  said,  "  we  here  see  through  a  glass  darkly."* 

The  symbolical  air,  or  medium  of  construction,  peculiar 
to  the  earthly  platfoiTu  of  works,  which  has  been  so  favora- 
ble to  the  kingdom  of  the  beast,  and  his  image,  and  the  false 
prophet,  we  may  suppose  to  be  of  the  grossest  character — 
a  carnal,  and  literal  construction.  The  false  prophet  being 
the  interpreter,  the  air  is  such  as  best  suits  his  purpose. 
The  test  a^Dphed  to  the  apocalyptic  air  produces  a  change 
in  its  character.  The  medium  of  contemplation  is  purified, 
and  the  objects  presented,  whether  heavenly  or  earthly, 
are  seen  in  their  true  light. 

*  The  action  of  the  first  six  tests  corrected  the  errors  of  the  earthly  sys- 
tem, the  influence  of  which,  like  the  smoke  from  the  bottomless  pit,  tended 
to  affect  the  construction  put  upon  the  written  word.  The  last  test  is  ac- 
cordingly requisite  to  correct  that  medium  of  contemplation  itself. 


248  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

The  impoi-tance  of  this  operation  is  pointed  out  particu- 
larly by  the  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from 
the  throne,  saying,  "  It  is  done."  The  application  of  this 
last  test  effects  all  that  remained  to  be  done  for  the  puri- 
fication of  the  views  of  divine  worship,  required  by,  or 
for  a  right  apprehension  of  the  attribute  of  divine  sove- 
reignty. This  is  uttered,  not  by  two  voices,  as  relating  to 
two  distinct  elements,  but  by  one  voice  from  the  throne^ 
though  proceeding  out  of  the  temple,  (v.  17,)  the  attri- 
bute of  divine  sovereignty  being  one  and  supreme. 

As  in  a  chemical  operation,  so  soon  as  a  test  is  applied, 
the  work  may  be  said  to  be  done^  although  it  may  require 
some  tune  after  to  exhibit  and  describe  the  results  of  the 
operation,  here,  too,  the  work  is  done^  when  the  vial  is 
poured  out,  although  the  exhibition  and  description  of  its 
effect  occupies  the  remainder  of  the  vision,  or  nearly  so. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  sounding  of  the  seventh 
trumpet,  the  mystery  is  finished^  as  soon  as  the  trumpet 
sounds,  (Rev.  10  :  7  ;  11  :  15,)  although  the  results  re- 
mained to  be  described. 

The  voices,  thunders,  lightnings,  and  the  earthquake,* 
or  great  shaking^  attending  the  effusion  of  this  vial,  are 
Sinaic  indications,  symbohzing  the  action  of  the  law  upon 
the  earthly  system,  when  both  are  contemplated  through 
the  right  medium  of  construction.  Similar  indications 
have  been  before  described,  but  on  this  occasion,  the 
earthquake,  or  shaking^  is  said  to  be  the  greatest,  although 
in  that  last  mentioned,  a  tenth  of  the  city  fell,  and 
7000  names  of  men  were  destroyed.  The  j^resent,  hoAv- 
ever,  is  the  last  of  these  indications,  and  more  may  be 

*  §  371. 


EFFECT  OF  THE   LAST   TEST.  249 

implied  in  the  action  of  this  greatest  shaking  than  at  first 
appears.     (Heb.  12  :  26,  27.) 

"  The  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,*  and  the 
cities  of  the  nations  fell,  and  great  Babylon  came  in  re- 
membrance before  God,  to  receive  the  cup  of  the  wine  of 
the  fierceness  of  his  wrath :"  the  punishment  before  de- 
clared to  be  inflicted  upon  the  worshippers  of  the  beast 
and  his  image,  and  those  receiving  the  mark  of  his  name. 
(Rev.  14  :  10.)  Thence  we  conclude  that  the  whole  of 
this  class  is  included  here  under  the  appellation  of  Baby- 
lon; the  empire  of  Babylon  being  equivalent  to  the 
kingdom  of  the  beast,  and  the  name  of  the  empne  or 
city  being  put  for  all  connected  with  it. 

The  great  city  is  apparently  that  "spiritually  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified,"  a 
figure  corresponding  with  Babylon ;  the  three  parts  re- 
ferred to  being  those  distinguished  severally  by  these 
three  appellations.  (Rev.  11:8.)  The  efiect  of  this  last 
test  is  that  of  producing  an  analysis  of  the  system  repre- 
sented by  this  great  earthly  city :  showing  its  three  promi- 
nent features  to  be  those  of,  1st,  uncleanness,  (impurity  or 
mixture  of  principles  and  motives ;)  2d,  legal  bondage ; 
and  3d,  self-justification :  elements  all  opposed  to  the  di- 
vine plan  of  salvation,  and  thus  identified  with  the  princi- 
ples pecuHar  to  the  kingdom  or  reign  of  the  adversary  of 
the  cross.  The  cities  of  the  nations  or  GentUes,  are,  ap- 
parently, figures  of  plans  of  salvation,  founded  upon  a 
literal  or  carnal  view  of  divine  revelation.  The  fallacy 
of  this  view  being  exposed,  the  plans  formed  from  it  fall 
as  a  necessary  consequence. 

*  §§  -372,  373. 
11* 


250  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

Anotlier  effect  of  this  last  test  is  represented  as  the 
fleeing  away  of  the  islands,  and  the  disappearance  of  the 
mountains. 

On  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  which  was  also  attend- 
ed by  an  earthquake,  or  shaking^  every  mountain  and 
island  were  moved  out  of  their  places ;  symboHzing  the 
instabiUty  of  all  pretensions  of  human  merits,  or  works  of 
the  law,  as  foundations  upon  which  to  rest  a  hope  of  sal- 
vation ;  or  as  refuges  against  the  wrath  of  offended  just- 
ice. The  medium  of  construction  of  the  written  word, 
being  now  perfectly  cleared,  these  supposed  foundations 
and  refuges  entirely  disappear:  even  the  mountains  (sys- 
tems, the  opposites  of  that  represented  by  Mount  Sion) 
are  not  to  be  found ;  under  the  new  construction  there  is 
no  place  for  them. 

Another  effect  of  the  test  applied  to  the  azV,  is  the  fall- 
ing of  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,*  about  the  weight  of  a 
talent.  *'  Hail  out  of  heaven"  may  be  considered  the 
figure  of  a  certain  portion  of  divine  revelation,  which  is 
symbolically  said  to  sweep  away  the  refuges  of  lies.  As 
such,  it  acts  upon  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system  as  a 
test,  (plague,)  showing  the  true  character  of  the  principles 
(v.  21)  to  be  blasphemous.  This  character,  corresponding 
with  the  real,  although  unconscious,  blasphemy  of  one, 
who  trusting  to  his  own  merits  for  justification  in  the  sight 
of  God,  virtually  places  himself  on  an  equality  with  God, 
professing  an  independence  of  divine  mercy,  and  actually 
making  himself  judge  in  his  own  cause ;  thus  showing 
himself  that  he  is  God ;  in  effect  giving  himself  forth  as 
such  in  this  matter. 

*  §  374. 


EFFECT    OF    THE   LAST   TEST.  251 

The  powerful  nature  of  the  test  is  illustrated  by  the 
figure  of  the  enormous  size  of  the  hail — about  the  weight 
of  a  talent — a  size  sufficient  to  destroy  the  earthly  pro- 
ductions upon  which  men  depend,  although  not  sufficient 
to  destroy  the  men  themselves,  sheltered  as  they  may  be 
in  their  earthly  tabernacles.  Their  destruction,  however, 
is  only  reserved  for  another  representation.  Meantime, 
we  may  notice,  that  as  hail  is  a  condensation  of  certain 
exhalations  from  the  earth,  its  operation  here  may  repre- 
sent the  reaction  of  the  elements  of  the  earthly  system  of 
works,  upon  that  system  itself,  such  being  the  effect  of  a 
right  construction  of  the  law  of  God,  as  revealed  in  the 
Scriptures. 

Here  (Rev.  16  :  18,  21)  we  have  a  smnmary  only  of  the 
results  of  this  last  test.  So  far  as  regards  the  fate  of  Baby- 
lon, we  are  yet  to  learn,  from  an  amphfication  of  this 
summary,  what  is  to  be  understood  by  Babylon  cortiing 
in  remembrance  before  God^  and  in  what  the  cup  of  the 
wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  consists.  This  we 
have  in  the  subsequent  accounts  of  Babylon,  first  as  a 
woman,  and  afterwards  as  a  city. 

As  a  woman,  Babylon  is  the  image  of  the  beast ;  and 
thence,  we  may  consider  the  features  of  her  character  and 
influence,  to  be  such  as  are  peculiar  to  the  beast  himself. 
She  is  thus  employed  to  illustrate  certain  points  in  the 
mystery  of  the  adversary  of  the  cross,  which  could  not 
otherwise  be  shown  to  the  same  advantage.  As  an  impe- 
rial city,  Babylon  may  be  taken  to  represent,  to  a  certain 
extent,  the  kingdom  of  the  beast ;  for  we  have  no  other 
particulars  of  the  fate  of  that  kingdom  than  those  related 
of  the  effects  of  the  effusion  of  the  fifth  vial.     Here,  the 


252  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

figure  of  a  great  city  affords  an  illustration  of  certain  fea- 
tures of  the  reign  of  the  beast,  which  could  not  be  so  well 
given  otherwise.  The  kingdom  of  the  beast  is,  apparently, 
an  opposite  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  of  which  it  was  said, 
(Luke  17:21,)"  The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you."  So  its 
opposite,  the  kingdom  of  the  beast,  is  something  in  the 
mind  of  the  disciple,  not  an  external  pohtical  or  ecclesi- 
astical power. 

The  account  of  the  image  (Babylon)  as  a  woman  or 
queen,  both  in  her  prosperity  and  in  her  ruin,  is  introduced 
by  way  of  an  episode^  occupying  the  whole  of  Rev.  17 ; 
for  which  purpose  the  narrative  or  tissue  of  the  vision  is 
suspended  till  we  reach  Rev.  18:1,  where  the  words, 
"  And  after  these  things,"  shows  the  connection  with  Rev. 
16  :  21.  The  narration  following,  is  an  amplification  of 
great  Babylon's  coming,  as  a  city,  in  remembrance  before 
God,  as  appears  from  the  expression  employed.  (Rev. 
18  :  5.)  This  account  is  also  that  of  the  fate  of  the  beast's 
kingdom.  The  fate  of  the  beast  himself,  is  related 
afterwards,  although  in  effect  coincident. 

The  first  notice  we  had  of  Babylon  by  name,  was  that 
of  her  fall  as  announced  in  the  heavenly  scene,  (Rev. 
14  :  8,)  but  which  is  to  be  considered  coeval  with  all  here 
represented  of  her  destruction.  The  cause  of  her  fall 
was  there  assigned  ;  that  she  had  made  aU  nations  partici- 
pate in  the  cup  of  her  abominations.  In  this  second  no- 
tice, the  instrument  in  bringing  about  her  fall,  is  made 
known — the  application  of  the  seventh  test  to  the  air. 
The  test,  prepared,  as  it  was,  in  the  temple,  showing,  when 
applied  to  the  construction  of  the  written  word,*  the  in- 

*  We  do  not  pretend  to  assign  a  period  when  this  right  construction  will 


EFFECT    OF   THE   LAST   TEST.  253 

consistency  of  the  Babylonish  plan,  or  mystery,  of  salva- 
tion (the  mystery  also  of  the  beast's  system)  with  the 
true  worship  of  God,  and  with  a  just  manifestation  of  his 
glory  and  power,  as  exhibited  in  the  work  of  man's  re- 
demption. 

That  Babylon,  in  the  character  of  the  harlot,  and  the 
image  of  the  beast,  are  owe,  appears  further  from  the  fact 
that  this  is  the  only  link  by  which  we  can  connect  her  his- 
tory with  other  portions  of  the  narrative,  as  on  the 
other  hand,  it  is  the  only  clue  we  have  to  the  character 
and  fate  of  that  image.  Add  to  this,  we  find,  in  the  con- 
clusion of  the  Apocalypse,  that  the  Lamb  has  a  wife,  or 
bride,  whose  attributes  illustrate  the  mystic  character  of 
her  spouse.  If  this  was  required  for  the  Lamb,  who  is,  in 
fact,  the  conqueror^  something  of  the  same  kind  must  have 
been  provided  for  his  opposite  the  beast.  Accordingly, 
through  the  agency  of  the  false  construction  (the  earthly 
atmosphere)  and  the  use  made  of  that  construction  by 
the  false  prophet,  a  simulation  of  the  bride  is  created 
from,  or  by,  the  principles  of  the  earthly  system,  which 
simulation^  or  image,  as  a  woman,  and  as  a  city,  represents 
a  false  plan  of  salvation  ;  as  the  bride  and  New  Jerusalem 
represent  the  true  plan ;  both  being  images  of  their  re- 
spective heads.  The  offices  of  both  are  the  same,  as  sym- 
bols of  identity,  (1  Cor.  16  :  16;  Eph.  5  :  31,  32,)  al- 
though morally  differing,  as  a  harlot  differs  from  a  lawful 
wife.  With  this  clue  we  learn,  when  the  harlot  is 
destroyed  by  the  action  of  the  ten  horns,  (Rev.  17  :  16) 

prevail:  perhaps  it  may  do  so  only  in  that  state  where  we  shall  see  face  to 
face,  but  meantime  every  commentary  on  the  Scriptures  may  approximate 
somewhat  towards  it. 


254  THE   SEALED  BOOK. 

and  the  great  city  by  fire,  that ;Such  is,  in  reality,  the  fate 
and  the  end  of  the  image  of  the  beast. 

Note.—  On  the  opening  of  the  bottoj^less  pit,  (Rev.  9  :  2,)  the  air  was 
darkened  by  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  We  may  suppose  this  darkness  to  have 
existed  in  all  the  earthly  scenes,  afterwards  described,  till  the  coming  in  of 
the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth.  On  the  application  of  the  fourth  test, 
vvcn  were  scorched  by  the  heat  of  the  siWi,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  they 
were  benefited  by  the  ligJit  of  the  sun.  .As,  the  influence  of  the  pit  system 
so  affects  the  construction  or  interpreta^on  of  the  written  word,  in  like 
manner  it  prevents  a  right  apprehension  of  divine  revelation  in  other  re- 
spects. At  the  same  time,  as  the  pit,  or  dottomless  system  influences  a  mis- 
interpretation, so  the  misinterpretation  (the  smoky  atmosphere)  sustains 
the  erroneous  system. 

The  same  state  of  the  analogical  atmosphere  gave  effect  to  the  locust- 
scorpion  sting,  and  to  the  more  deadly  sting  of  the  Euphratean  cavalry ; 
clothing  also  the  two  witnesses  with  sackcloth,  and  enabling  the  false  pro- 
phet to  perform  his  apparent  miracles  'if^  tlie  ,ngM  of  men, ;  giving  life  to 
the  image  of  the  beast,  and  causing  .both  the  beast  and  his  image  to  be 
worshipped.  '  ""'*  -- 

The  same  obscurity  enabled  Satan  to  operate,  through  the  beast,  without 
being  recognized;  giving  a  condemnatory  effect  to  the  ten  horns  of  the 
law,  enforced  by  his  accusatory  authority;  corresponding  with  a  legal 
presentation  of  the  Gospel  under  such  a  misconstruction,  that  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  law,  by  Jesus  Christ,  is  not  apprehended. 

By  the  application  of  the  last  test,  the  figurative  air,  or  atmosphere,  is 
cleared  from  the  influence  of  the  pit  system,  as  well  as  from  every  other  in- 
gredient of  obscurity,  and  thenceforth  both  true  and  false  systems  appear 
in  their  right  aspects.  The  Sun  of  righteousness  is  again  seen  unobscured  in 
the  persons  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  God  and  the 
Lamb.* 

So  the  harvest  and  vintage  of  the  earth,  the  action  of  the  seventh  vial 
test  upon  the  oAr,  and  the  victory  of  the  Word  of  God  by  the  sivord  of  his 
mouth,  may  be  considered  so  many  different  figures  of  the  same  crisis. 

*  §§  3T5-578. 


THE   WTLDEENESS.  255 


CHAPTER     VI. 

Act  V. —  Continued.     (Episode.) 

BABTXOIf,  THE  HARLOT — HER  REIGN  AS  A  QUEEN — THE 
BEAST  WITH  SEVEN  HEADS — THE  TEN  HORNS ^THE  VIC- 
TORY OF  THE  LAMB — ^THE  END    OF  THE  HARLOT. 

Scene:  The  Earth — ^the  Wilderness. 

The  apostle  is  invited*  (Rev.  17  :  1)  by  the  angel  which 
poured  out  the  first  of  the  seven  vials,  (administering 
the  test  to  those  that  had  the  mark  of  the  beast  and 
that  worshipped  his  image^)  to  turn  aside  from  the  general 
representation  for  the  purpose  of  witnessing  the  judgment 
(condemnation)  of  the  great  harlot ;  sitting^  as  it  is  said 
by  the  angel,  upon  many  waters  ;  this  harlot  proving  to 
be,  as  we  find  by  the  designation  on  her  forehead,  Baby- 
lon, the  image  itself  just  referred  to. 

The  sitting  here  mentionedf  must  be  taken  in  a  regal 
sense,  as  she  is  afterwards  represented  to  have  said  in  her 
heart,  "I  sit  as  a  queen,"  (Rev.  18  :  Y.)  The  figure 
of  many  waters  may  be  taken  from  the  waters  irrigating 
the  city  Babylon,  drawn  from  the  Euphrates,  or  from  other 
rivers  of  the  empire  fed  by  that  stream.  They  are  after- 
wards said  to  be  "peoples,  nations,  multitudes,  and 
tongues;"  both  expressions  being  symbolically  used  for 
falso  or  earthly  systems  of  means  of  propitiation ;  the  first 

*  §§  379,380.  +  §  381. 


256  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

having  more  immediate  reference  to  the  element  of  atone- 
ment, and  the  last  to  systems  of  doctrine  built  uj)on  the 
Gentile  or  letter  construction  of  divme  revelation,  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  spirit.  As  foundations  (fundamental 
principles)  the  instabihty  of  these  waters  may  well  be  con- 
trasted with  the  stabihty  of  Mount  Zion.  As  the  beast  is 
an  opposite  of  the  Word  of  God,  so  these  waters  are  oppo- 
sites  of  the  mount  that  can  not  be  removed.  (Ps.  125  :  1.) 

Babylon  herself,  as  her  name  signifies,  represents  a  con- 
fused system  of  propitiation,  as  of  law  and  Gospel  elements 
mixed.  The  earth  or  land  being  a  symbol  of  a  plan  of  sal- 
vation by  works  of  the  law,  "  the  kings  of  the  earth"  re- 
present the  leading  principles  of  that  system — the  same 
principles  of  law,  perhaj^s,  as  are  afterwards  said  to  be 
overcome  by  the  Lamb,  (Rev.  17  :  14.)  Being  imlawful- 
ly  used  in  this  mixed  system  of  the  harlot,  their  mixture 
with  that  system  is  figuratively  spoken  of  as  an  illicit  con- 
nection,* while  the  iufiuence  of  the  mixture  itself,  sanc- 
tioned as  it  may  appear  to  be,  by  these  elements  of  law,  is 
represented  as  that  of  the  wine  of  that  illicit  intercourse, 
by  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  the  dwellers  upon 
the  earth,  (principles  of  self  justification  or  self-dependence 
resting  upon  the  earthly  platform,)  are  made  drunk ;  re- 
ferring to  the  folly  and  madness  of  intoxication,  rather 
than  to  its  stupidity.  This  figure  appears  to  be  taken 
from  the  drugged  wine  (philters)  commonly  used  amongst 
the  ancients  by  characters  corresponding  with  that  of  the 
harlot,  to  allure  and  overcome  the  unwary. 

The  apostle,  however,  did  not  see  Babylon  under  the 
aspect  described  by  the  angel.     He  is  carried  awayf  into 

*  §  882.  t  §  383. 


THE   WILDERNESS.  257 

the  wilderness,  where  he  sees  her  sitting  upon  a  scarlet- 
colored  beast,  full  of  the  names  of  blasphemy.  Babylon  still 
sits  as  a  queen,  but  her  throne,  or  that  by  which  her  pow- 
er is  sustained,  symbohzes  a  different  feature  of  her  sys- 
tem.* 

The  apostle  is  carried  away  into  a  wilderness,  in  spirit^ 
as  he  was  taken  up  into  heaven  in  spirit^  and  as  he  saw 
the  day  of  the  Lord  ^V^  spirit.  It  is  only  in  the  wilderness 
that  Babylon  could  appear  as  a  qiieen^  in  the  enlightened 
view  afforded  the  apostle.  As  she  reigns  in  the  wilder- 
ness, so  it  is  the  wilderness  position  which  makes  her  to 
reign :  as  it  is  only  where  the  true  view  of  the  divine 
plan  of  salvation  is  wanting,  that  the  false  view  can  obtain 
credence.  The  wilderness  position  corresponds  with  that 
of  man  under  the  law,  depending,  as  it  were,  upon  the 
sweat  of  his  brow  for  the  means  of  eternal  life,  and  obtain- 
ing only  thorns  and  thistles  as  the  fruit  of  his  labor.  Li 
such  a  wilderness,  a  pseudo-plan  of  salvation  comes  as  a 
rehef,  a  sort  of  compromise,  between  the  principles  of  law 
and  those  of  sovereign  grace  :  very  acceptable,  we  may 
suppose,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,f  fleeing  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  but  abomination  in  the  sight  of  Him 
who  "  will  not  divide  his  glory  with  another." 

The  term  rendered  woman  here,  is  the  same  as  that 


*  The  bond-woman,  Hagar,  represented,  according  to  Paul,  a  purely  legal 
covenant  or  system ;  the  harlot,  a  pseudo-covenant  of  legal  and  other 
principles,  mixed. 

t  To  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  figuratively  speaking,  the  harlot  wilder- 
ness may  appear  a  magnificent  city,  a  place  of  refuge  amply  provided  with 
means  of  defense  and  sustenance ;  but  to  the  apostle,  who  sees  it  through  a 
purified  medium  of  vision,  it  is  but  a  defenseless  wilderness. 


258  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

applied  to  the  "  woman  clothed  with  the  sim,"  who  fled 
into  the  wilderness  to  escape  the  persecution  of  the  dra- 
gon. Either  the  one  is  in  seclusion  where  the  other  is  in 
her  glory,  or  the  same  individual  is  seen  under  different 
aspects.  As  if  we  could  suppose  (the  aspects  being  chang- 
ed) the  woman  bearing  the  man-child  to  take  the  place  of 
the  harlot ;  the  wilderness  would  then  blossom  as  the  rose, 
and  the  bride  would  appear  coming  out  of  that  wilderness 
leaning  on  her  beloved  ;  corresponding  with  a  change  of 
views  in  the  mind  of  the  disciple  who  contemplates  God's 
plan  of  redemption  under  the  new  aspect  presented  by  the 
wife  of  the  Lamb.  (Is.  35  :  1 ;  Cant.  3  :  6.) 

The  scarlet-colored  beast,  from  his  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  their  names  of  blasphemy,  is  apparently  the 
same  as  that  seen  by  the  apostle  rising  from  the  sea ;  and 
if  so,  the  features  of  his  character  and  the  system  or  mys- 
tery he  represents,  are  still  the  same,  excej^ting  that  his 
spotted  skin  is  changed  for  one  of  a  scarlet  color.  Scarlet 
or  crimson  being  a  hlood-red  color,  s}Tnbolizes  the  action 
of  the  law,  and  may  be  put  here  to  remind  us  that  the 
beast  exercises  the  great  authority  of  \hQ  fiery-red  dragon; 
his  ten  horns  indicating  th§  power  of  the  law,  and  his 
seven  heads  containing  seve^'^y  and  collectively  the  sting 
of  r  the  serpent.  Thus  the  soj^ereign  control  of  the  harlot 
system  is  sustained  by  the  accusing  power  of  the  broken 
law,  to  which  also  it  owes  its  high  reputation,  (amongst 
the  dwellers  upon  the  earth^  as  furnishing  the  mixed  rem- 
edy represented  by  the  wine  of  the  harlot. 

The  array  of  the  woman*  in  purple  and  scarlet  color, 
with  her  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  (all  very 

*  §  384. 


THE   HAJRLOT   QUEEN.  259 

good  things  in  their  place,)  corresponds  with  the  decorations 
of  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  indicating  the  preten- 
sions of  the  woman,  or  of  that  which  she  represents,  to  the 
sanctions  of  the  legal  covenant.  Connecting  this  array, 
so  directly  an  opposite  of  that  of  the  bride  of  the  Lamb, 
(Rev.  19:8,)  with  the  position  of  the  woman  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  the  opprobrious  appellation  given  her,  and 
the  support  she  has  from  the  ten-horned  beast,  the  sys- 
tem she  symbolizes  appears  equivalent  to  a  substitution  of 
the  old  covenant  for  the  new ;  using  the  law  unlawfully, 
and  substituting  for  the  propitiation  of  Christ,  represent- 
ed by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  the  abominable  mixture  con- 
tained in  her  golden  cup.  (See  Appendix  J.) 

Gold  we  have  always  considered  a  figure  of  truth,  giv- 
ing the  character  of  truth  to  whatever  is  said  to  be  com- 
posed of  it,  and  so  we  still  consider  it.  The  material  of 
the  harlot's  cup  is  truth,  because  it  exhibits  its  contents 
in  their  truly  abominable  character  :*  representing  the 
element  of  atonement  as  an  indispensable  ingredient  in 
any  plan  of  salvation,  it  is  also  true.  The  evil  is  in  the 
xoine  of  the  cup,  the  substitution  of  earthly  meritorious 
works  of  propitiation,  or  pretensions  of  that  character,  for 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  as  if  the  woman  had  purloined 
the  precious  cup  of  blessing,  spoken  of  by  the  apostle 
Paul,  (1  Cor.  10  :  16,)  and  had  filled  it  with  her  delusive 
mixture.  As  she  pretends  to  the  sanction  of  the  old  cov- 
enant, she  pretends  also  to  supply  a  remedy  for  its  trans- 
gression, equivalent  to  that  of  the  new  covenant.  The 
mixture  in  her  cup  corresponds  with  that  of  the  pharma- 


385. 


260  THE   SEALED   BOOK 

cy,  elsewhere  reprobated  in  the  Apocalypse,  under  the  ap- 
pellation, as  our  common  version  has  it,  of  sorcery. 

Upon  the  forehead*  of  the  woman  a  name  is  written, 
"  Mystery^  Bahylon  the  Great^  the  mother  of  harlots  (for- 
nications) and  abominations  of  the  earth."  We  have 
already  anticipated  the  necessity  of  any  comment  on 
these  names ;  they  sanction ,  however,  all  that  we  have 
said.  The  name  in  the  forehead  must  be  an  opposite  of 
the  seal  of  God,  in  the  forehead  of  the  144,000.  The 
woman  is  declared  to  represent  a  mystery. \  As  such 
she  must  be  an  opposite  of  the  mystery  of  Christ,  (Eph. 
3  :  4,)  and  of  the  mystery  of  the  Gospel ;  and  as  the  mys- 
tery of  the  Gospel,  and  of  Christ,  and  of  God,  (Rev. 
10  :  V,)  are  but  different  appellations  of  the  same  divine 
plan  of  salvation,  the  mystery  of  this  woman  is  equivalent 
to  a  pretended  plan  or  system  of  salvation,  an  opposite 
of  the  true.  As  the  woman  is  declared  also  to  be  Babylon 
the  great,  whatever  the  woman  is  put  for,  that  great  city 
is  put  for ;  both  representing  the  same  mystery,  but  ex- 
hibiting different  illustrations  of  its  features.  As  the 
same  woman,  or  city,  is  the  mother  or  source  of  all  the 
errors  or  erroneous  systems  of  doctrine,  figuratively  term- 
ed the  harlots,  or  fornications  and  abominations  of  the 
earth,  (doctrines  and  systems  of  faith  resting  on  the  earth- 
ly platform  of  works,)  she  must  be  an  opposite  of  the 
woman  bearing  the  man-child  destined  to  rule  all  nations, 
and  who  herself  proves  to  be  the  ^'•Jerusalem  above,^'' 
"  the  mother  of  us  all,"  (Gal.  4  :  26.)  And  as  the  harlot 
is  the  image  of  the  beast,  the  mystery  of  Babylon  is  an 
image  of  the  mystery  of  the  beast. 

*  §  386.  t  §§  386,  231. 


THE   HARLOT   QUEEN.  261 

The  name  Babylon,  derived  from  the  tower  of  Babel, 
remmds  us  of  that  typical  history  in  which  the  me?i  of  the 
earth  assembled  together  to  build  themselves  a  name^ 
and  were  defeated  in  their  vainglorious  attempt  by  the 
confrision  of  tongues ;  a  pertinent  figure  of  systems  Hke 
that  of  Babylon,  which  tend  to  give  to  man  the  glory 
of  salvation,  to  be  ascribed  only  to  God ;  and  which,  in  the 
nature  of  the  attempt,  produces  such  a  multitude  of  mixed 
and  discordant  views  that  no  two  of  them  may  be  said  to 
speak  the  same  language.  Such  we  may  suppose  to  be 
the  systems  symbohcally  termed,  "  nations,  kindreds,  peo- 
ples, and  tongues." 

From  the  array  of  the  harlot,  we  may  presume  that, 
like  the  beast  of  which  she  is  the  image^  she  professes 
great  zeal  for  the  law ;  and  from  her  golden  cup,  we  con- 
clude that  she  admits  the  necessity  of  an  atonement  to 
meet  the  transgression  of  the  law.  The  wine  of  her  cup, 
as  that  of  a  harlot,  must  be  the  opposite  of  the  wine  of 
the  marriage  feast,  produced  from  the  water  of  purifica- 
tion by  the  power  of  Christ.  The  contents  of  the  cup 
must  be  an  opposite  as  weU  as  a  pretended  substitute  of 
the  blood  of  the  new  covenant,  abominable  in  this  re- 
spect alone,  but  still  more  so  in  its  mixture  of  the  pre- 
tended merits  of  man  with  the  propitiatory  work  of 
Christ — an  adulterated  atonement. 

The  wilderness  of  the  harlot  corresponds  as  a  figure 
with  that  in  which  the  rebellious  Israelites  perished  from 
imbelief ;  with  that  in  which  the  Baptist  found  no  suste- 


*  That  is,  to  glorify  themselves,  to  give  themselves  a  permanent  repu- 
tation. 


262  THB  SEALED  BOOK. 

nance  other  than  locusts  and  wild  honey ;  and  with  that, 
which  to  Christ  himself,  was  destitute  of  all  nourishment. 

As  the  image  of  the  beast,  and  as  supported  by  him,  the 
mystery  represented  by  Babylon,  corresponds*  with  that 
symbolized  by  him  whose  names  were  full  of  blasphemy, 
names  all  adverse  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  emblematic  of 
priQciples  tending  to  exalt  the  creature  and  the  sinner  to 
an  equality  with  the  Creator  and  the  Saviour ;  ascribing 
a  salvation,  the  result  of  sovereign  grace  alone,  to  the 
works  or  merits  of  man.  Hence  as  these  mixed  pretensions 
rest  upon  the  platform  of  justification  by  works,  they  are, 
figuratively,  abominations  and  harlotry  of  the  earth. 

The  woman  was  seen  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus  \\  the 
blood  of  those  who  were  "  slain  for  the  Word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  they  held,"  and  whose  souls  under 
the  altar  (Rev.  6  :  9)  were  crying  for  judgment  and  vindi- 
cation ;  and  the  blood  afterwards  found  amidst  the  ruins 
of  Babylon. 

This  blood  (the  life  of  the  animal)  we  have  already  de- 
fined to  be  the  spirit  or  spii-it-sense  of  the  revealed  word. 
The  mystery  of  Babylon  flourishes  by  separating  the  spirit 
from  the  letter  of  all  that  is  revealed  in  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures. The  spirit  being  rejected,  the  mixed  principles 
cleave  to  the  letter ;  because  this  last  may  be  perverted 
to  sustain  the  mixed  views  represented  by  the  mystery  of 
the  harlot  and  the  contents  of  her  cup. 

The   apostle  wonders  at  this  sight.    That  the  harlot 

*  As  it  corresponds  also  with  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  which  may  be  said 
to  be  the  image  of  the  man  of  sin.    (2  Thess.  2:7.) 
t  §  387. 


THE   HAKLOT   QUEEN.  263 

should  be  thus  drunken,  or  satiated  with  the  blood  of 
saints,  is  not  so  much  a  matter  of  wonder,  as  it  is  that 
she  should  be  permitted  so  to  shed  this  blood;  as,  in 
reading  the  accounts  of  the  bloody  persecutions  to  which 
the  disciples  of  Christ  have  been  subjected,  we  do  not 
wonder  so  much  that  theu'  enemies  should  have  thus  mani- 
fested their  hatred  of  him  and  of  his  cause,  as  that  these 
persecutions  should  have  been  permitted  by  that  divine 
overruling  power,  without  whose  knowledge  not  a  spar- 
row falleth  to  the  ground. 

This  wonder  calls  forth  an  explanation  by  the  angel  at- 
tending the  apostle,  who  had  called  him  aside  to  see  the 
judgment  of  the  harlot,  and  instead  of  that  had  shown 
him  a  woman  assuming  the  position  of  a  sovereign,  and 
satiating  her  hostility  to  the  cross  (the  truth)  by  shed- 
ding the  blood  of  saints  and  martyrs.  He  might  be  sup- 
posed to  exclaim,  "  Is  this  the  judgment  (condemnation) 
of  the  harlot  that  I  was  called  to  see?" 

The  explanation  of  the  angel,  taking  place,  as  may  be 
supposed,  on  retiring  from  the  exhibition,  goes  to  show 
that,  notwithstanding  all  this  appearance  of  power  and 
prosperity,  the  woman  is  destined  to  be  destroyed,  even 
by  the  very  instrument  upon  which  she  had  depended  to 
sustain  her  authority.  "I  will  tell  you,"  he  says,  "  the 
mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth 
her."  The  mystery  is  related  in  symbolical  language ; 
whence  we  may  understand  that  telling  a  mystery  is  not 
an  interpretation  of  it.  The  mystery  explains  to  the 
apostle  why,  in  showing  him  the  judgment  of  the  harlot, 
he  is  made  to  see  her  in  her  glory,  before  he  learns  her 
end,  but  as  a  mystery  or  system,  it  requires  itself  a  devel- 


264  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

opment  beyond  that  of  telling  it :  the  hidden  purport  re- 
mains to  be  discovered. 

The  Greek  term  translated  beast*  here  (Rev.  17  :  Y)  is 
applied  in  the  New  Testament  to  serpents,  as  well  as  to 
quadrupeds.  (Acts  28  :  4,  5.)  The  head  and  horns,  only, 
of  the  beast  carrying  the  harlot,  being  mentioned,  the  ap- 
plication may  be  made  either  to  the  great  serpent  with 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  or  to  his  representative  and 
vicegerent  upon  the  earth,  the  beast  from  the  sea.  The 
difference  is  not  material,  except  so  far  as  one  or  the 
other  may  enable  us  best  to  understand  the  subsequent 
mystic  expressions  in  the  same  connection.f 

The  beast,  it  is  said,  "  was^  and  is  no%  and  is  to  ascend 
out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  to  go  into  perdition.''^  The 
verb  to  be,  is  used  here,  as  in  other  instances  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, in  reference  to  a  manifestation  of  the  thing  spoken 
of.  The  beast  from  the  sea,  as  the  adversary  of  the  cross, 
ruled  and  was  manifested  under  the  legal  dispensation, 
when  the  view  of  that  dispensation  was  so  perverted  as 
to  favor  the  pretension  of  justification  by  works  ;  as  was 
the  case  in  the  view  of  the  Pharisees  of  old. 

The  beast  "  is  wo^,"I  under  the  Gospel  dispensation  of 
grace,  where  the  law  is  contemplated  as  having  been  ful- 
filled by  Jesus  Christ.  Again  the  beast  ascends  out  of 
the  bottomless  pit,  when  the  bottomless  pit  system,  (sucli 
as  we  have  seen  it,)  obscures  the  Sun  of  righteousness, 

*  §  297. 

t  Satan  opposed  the  plan  ol  salvation  in  heaven,  and  the  beast  from  the 
sea  is  the  adversary  of  the  same  plan  on  the  earth,  or  the  adversary  of  the 
true  exhibition  of  it. 

1   ?§  888,  "89. 


THE  BEAST — HIS   HEAD   AND   HORNS.  265 

and  resuscitates  the  legal  elements  opposed  to  the  cross  of 
Christ,  as  when  the  witnesses  are  prophesying  in  sackcloth. 
But  when  the  right  construction  of  the  revealed  word 
clears  away  the  mists  of  this  earthly  influence,  the  beast 
is  seen  to  be  overcome  by  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  go 
into  perdition^  corresponding  with  the  figure  of  his  being 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  (Rev.  19  :  20.)  Nearly  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  serpent,  (Satan.)  Me  is,  or  is  mani- 
fested, under  the  reign  of  the  beast,  and  wherever  the 
persecuted  woman  is  secluded  in  the  wilderness,  and  the 
witnesses  prophesy  in  sackcloth.  Me  is  not,  when 
chained  in  the  bottomless  pit,  (Rev.  20  :  1.)  Again,  he  is, 
when  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  (Rev.  20  :  7  ;)  and  he  goes 
into  perdition  when  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  (Rev. 
20  :  10.) 

The  figurative  accordance  of  these  last  circumstances 
with  the  mystic  expression  to  which  they  may  be  sup- 
posed to  aUude,  suggests  the  idea  that  the  intention  of  the 
angel's  explanation  is  to  show  "  that  old  serpent^''  or 
beast,  the  DevU  and  Satan,  to  be  himself  the  real  sup- 
porter of  the  harlot  mystery  or  system.  As  that  serpent's 
object  was,  from  the  beginning,  to  bring  man  under  the 
law,  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  his  condemnation ;  so, 
being  baffled  in  this  purpose  by  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion by  grace,  through  faith,  his  next  object  is  to  turn 
away  the  disciple  from  the  faith  by  substituting  a  false 
plan  in  place  of  the  true,  through  the  instrumentahty  of 
the  beast  system,  and  the  false  interpretation ;  all  sym- 
bolized by  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  the  false  prophet. 

The  wonder  of  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  (principles 
not  contained  in  the  Book  of  Life  (Rev.  17:8)  or  divine 
12 


266  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

plan  of  salvation)  at  beholding  these  changes  in  the  beast, 
may  be  designed  to  illustrate  the  wonder  or  astonish- 
ment of  those  led  away  under  these  influences,  when  a 
right  construction  of  the  wiitten  word  enables  them  to 
discern  the  working  of  Satan  in  all  the  errors  they  have 
embraced.  The  apostle  wondered  at  the  prosperity  of 
the  wicked,  (the  harlot  and  the  beast ;)  the  dwellers  upon 
the  earth,  it  is  said  by  the  angel,  shall  wonder  when  they 
discern  the  real  character  of  the  beast,  and  behold  his 
end.  This  wonder  may  not  be  such  as  to  lead  to  a  change 
of  views.  It  is  rather  to  be  compared  to  that  alluded  to 
in  the  saying  of  the  prophets,  to  which  the  apostle  Paul 
has  referred,  (Acts  13  :  41,)  the  principles  of  the  earthly- 
platform  of  works  being  unchangeable  in  then-  nature, 
otherwise  than  by  the  removal  of  the  platform  itself;  as 
symbohzed  by  the  fleeing  away  of  the  old  earth,  on  the 
full  development  of  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty  in 
the  Word  of  God.     (Rev.  20  :  2.) 

The  intimation  of  a  pecuharly  mystic  sense  here  given, 
corresponds  with  that  connected  with  the  announcement 
of  the  number  of  the  beast,  *'  Here  the  mind  having  wis- 
dom." We  need  not  be  surprised,  therefore,  if  there  be 
something  apparently  far  fetched  in  the  interpretation  to 
be  given. 

"  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  where  the  wo- 
man sitteth,  and  are  seven  kings,"  or  chiefs.*  As  heads^ 
these  members  of  the  beast  represent  tendencies,  (pur- 
poses) of  the  beast  system ;  as  mountains  where  the  wo- 
man sitteth^  they  symbolize  foundations  or  fundamental 
principles  of  the  woman's  pretensions  to  sovereignty,  (op- 

*  %  890. 


THE  BEAST — HIS   HEAD   AND   HOENS.  267 

posites  of  Mount  Zion,)  corresponding  with  the  moun- 
tains of  the  earth,  which  were  first  moved  out  of  their 
places,  and  in  the  end  (the  result  of  the  last  test  upon  the 
air)  were  not  to  be  found.  In  keeping  with  this  figure, 
when  Babylon  is  destroyed  we  may  presume  these  moun- 
tains disappear :  this  also  being  the  crisis  when,  as  it  is 
said,  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not 
found.  Our  limits  will  not  permit  a  further  definition  of 
these  fundamental  principles  than  to  say  that  they  must 
be  all  opposites  of  the  principle  of  sovereign  grace  repre- 
sented by  Mount  Zion,  and  of  the  same  character,  appar- 
ently, as  that  ascribed  to  the  heads.   (See  Appendix  B.) 

As  the  power  of  the  law  is  represented  by  ten  horns  in 
the  destruction  of  the  harlot,  and  by  te7i  kings  in  being 
overcome  by  the  Lamb,  so  we  may  presume  the  seven 
Icings  (Rev  17  :  10*)  represented  by  the  seven  heads  to  be 
leading  principles  or  pretensions  of  the  beast  system : 
all  of  them  pretensions  adverse  to  the  cross  of  Christ. 
What  is  said  of  them  as  past,  present,  or  to  come,  refers, 
as  in  other  cases,  to  the  order  of  manifestation  in  the  vi- 

*  The  word  "^Aere,"  in  this  verse,  is,  we  think,  uncalled  for ;  the  reading 
should  be,  "  and  are  seven  kings,"  that  is,  the  seven  heads  are  seven  moun- 
tains and  are  seven  kings.  As  heads  they  represent  the  pretensions  of  a 
system  or  mystery ;  as  mountains  they  represent  its  foundations  or  funda- 
mental principles ;  and  as  kings  they  are  figures  of  its  ruling  principles  per- 
vading the  whole  system.  In  character  they  correspond  with  the  strong- 
holds, imaginations,  and  Mgh  tilings  alluded  to  by  Paul,  2  Cor.  5:5;  princi- 
paUty,  power,  might,  and  dominion,  Eph.  1  :  21 ;  6:12,  and  every  name  that 
is  named  in  opposition  to  the  name  of  Christ  or  of  God  as  the  only  Saviour. 

As  figures,  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast  appear  to  be  opposites  of  the 
spirits  of  God,  and  as  the  latter  are  symbolized  by  lamps,  by  horns,  and  by 
eyes,  so  the  spirits  of  the  adversary  are  figuratively  said  to  be  heads,  moun- 
tains, and  kings,  according  to  the  several  features  of  the  mystery  set  forth. 


268  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

sion  itself,  and  not  to  an  order  of  existence  or  succession  of 
time.  Five  are  said  to  have  fallen  ;*  these  five  may  be, 
for  example,  1st,  The  pretension  of  the  earthly  system  to 
a  righteousness  of  its  own ;  destroyed  or  fallen  by  the 
burning  up  of  the  vegetable  covering  of  the  land,  on  the 
sound  of  the  first  trumpet.  2d,  The  pretension  of  ability 
to  withstand  the  power  of  judicial  wi'ath  ;  fallen  by  the 
exhibition  of  the  sea  as  blood,  the  destruction  of  ships, 
and  of  all  that  had  life  in  it — the  second  trumpet's  sound. 
3d,  The  pretension  of  the  earthly  system  of  works  to 
furnish  a  sufficient  atonement  for  sin  ;  fallen  by  the  action 
of  the  star  Wormwood  on  the  waters  of  the  earth.  4th, 
The  pretension  to  self-justification  of  the  bottomless-pit 
system ;  fallen  by  the  action  of  its  own  elements,  the  scor- 
pion-locusts. 5th,  The  pretension  of  the  Euphratean  sys- 
tem ;  fallen  by  the  drying  up  of  the  river.  Of  the  sixth 
king^  it  is  said  "  one  is  ;"  this,  we  may  suppose  to  be  the 
pretension  of  the  mixed  system,  represented  by  the  harlot, 
then  imder  treatment.  The  seventh  we  may  consider  the 
pretension  of  the  beast  himself,  whose  appearance  at  the 
head  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,  is  spoken 
of  as  his  coming^  and  whose  speedy  overthrow  in  the  great 
battle,  is  intimated  in  the  expression  of  his  continuing  a 
short  space. 

The  eighth  Jcing  or  pretension,  or  leading  principle,  of 
which  it  is  said,  he  was,  and  is  not,  and  is  of,  or  out  of  the 
seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition,  we  have  no  difficulty  in 
supposing  to  be  Satan,  the  great  serpent  himself,  the  ac- 
cuser of  the  brethren,  the  pretended  advocate  of  the  claims 
of  the  law.    He  was,  as  described  in  the  war  in  heaven ; 

*  i§  391,892, 


THE   BEAST — HIS   HEAD   AND   HORNS.  269 

I 

he  is  not^  when,  having  given  his  power  and  great  author- 
ity to  the  beast,  he  does  not  appear  in  the  earthly  scene, 
and  yet  he  is  of  or  out  of  the  seven,  because  he  is  the 
real  actor  in  all  the  pretensions  represented  by  the  seven 
heads.  He  is  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is. 
As  the  adversary  of  man's  salvation  he  was  manifested  till 
overcome  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and  the  power  of 
divine  sovereignty ;  as  the  adversary  of  the  cross^  he  is 
not  manifested,  because  he  acts  only  in  the  person  of  the 
ten-homed  beast,  and  his  concomitants;  and  yet  he  is, 
because  he  is  the  real  actor  under  this  disguise.  He  is 
also  manifested  when  seen  to  be  bound  with  a  great  chain 
in  the  bottoroless  pit,  and  finally  he  goes  into  perdition 
when  cast  iato  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  after  his  de- 
feat before  the  camp  of  the  saints,  (Rev.  20  :  9,  10.)  We 
are  not  tenacious  of  this  definition,  but  are  neverthe- 
less persuaded  that  these  heads,  mountains,  and  kings, 
have  reference  to  matters  represented  in  this  vision, 
symbolizing  doctrinal  elements  bearing  an  analogy  with 
them ;  different  figures  being  required  to  illustrate  difier- 
ent  features  of  the  same  doctrine. 

The  ten  horns  of  the  beast  (v.  12)  are  also  ten  kings.* 
According  to  the  Greek,  they  have  never  received  a  king- 
dom themselves ;  but  power  has  been  given  them  to  rule  or 
reign  as  kings  simultaneously  with  the  beast,  ("  one 
hour.")  When  the  beast  system  prevails  these  ruHng 
principles  prevail,  as  the  law  must  rule  in  a  system  of  self- 
justification.  "  They  have  one  mind,  and  give  their  pow- 
er to  the  beast,"  both  the  beast  and  the  dragon  depend- 
ing upon  the  law,  symbolized  by  the  ten  horns  (the  deca- 

*  §  393. 


270  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

• 

logue)  as  a  whole,  for  theii-  authority.  As  these  legal 
horns  are  connected  with  the  beast  system  ;  so,  as  kings, 
or  ruling  principles  of  the  law,  they  are  said  (v.  14)  to 
make  war  with  the  Lamb.  The  law,  that  is,  the  broken 
law,  contends  with  the  element  of  divine  propitiation. 
The  Lamb,  however,  overcomes  these  legal  chiefs,  as  the 
power  of  the  law  is  overcome  by  that  of  divine  sovereign- 
ty, exercised  in  the  vicarious  fulfillment  of  the  law  by 
Jesus  Christ,  "  the  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings," 
the  conqueror,  as  we  afterwards  find,  of  the  beast  himself; 
those  with  the  Lamb,  "chosen,  faithful,  and  true,"  like 
the  followers  of  the  Word  of  God  on  white  horses,  being 
the  principles  of  this  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace, 
(Rev.  19  :  11-14.) 

This  contest*  is  expressed  by  the  sign  of  the  future 
tense,  (shall,)  not  because  the  thing  represented  was,  or  is, 
something  to  occur  at  a  fiiture  time,  but  because  the  trans- 
action figuratively  spoken  of,  is  to  be  exhibited  in  a  subse- 
quent part  of  the  vision,  where  we  find  this  same  beast 
with  his  earthly  forces  arrayed  in  battle  against  the  Lamb  ; 
there  seen  in  the  person  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse, 
the  conqueror,  "  He  that  overcometh,"  called  the  Word 
of  God,  and  bearing  upon  his  vesture  and  upon  his  thigh 
the  title  of  "  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords." 

Here  (v.  15)  the  waters  where  the  woman  sitteth  are 
said  by  the  angel  to  be  "  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  na- 
tions, and  tongues,"!  doctrinal  systems  and  principles  of 
the  Gentile  character,};  as  we  have  before  defined  them. 

*  i§  894,  895. 

t  The  pleonasm  of  this  expression  very  plainly  indicating  its  figurative 
character,  as  on  other  occasions. 
X  §  396. 


THE   BEAST HIS   HEAD    AND    HORNS.  271 

The  harlot  sits  enthroned  upon  these,  as  a  queen,  overrul- 
ing and  subverting  them  to  the  su23port  of  her  mixed  sys- 
tem, and  to  a  participation  m  her  pretended  cup  of  pro- 
pitiation. 

Under  one  aspect  the  harlot-mystery  is  represented 
as  sustained  by  many  earthly  plans  of  atonement,  (v.  1,) 
imder  another,  it  is  .sustained  by  seven  fundamental  princi- 
ples, all  having  a  condemnatory  tendency,  (serpent  heads,) 
operating  by  the  power  of  the  law,  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast. 
For  as  the  woman  is  the  image  of  the  beast  upon  which  she 
sits,  so  her  mystery  is  the  image  of  the  beast's  kingdom, 
(v.  3,)  two  figures  of  the  same  thing  interchangeably 
illustrating  each  other.  Again  these  same  principles  are 
represented  as  mountains,  opposites  of  Mount  Zion,  and  as 
such,  opposites  of  the  purpose  of  sovereign  grace,  (v.  9  ;) 
and  lastly,  the  same  mystery  is  represented  as  a  sovereign 
ruling  a  multitude  of  systems  and  principles  formed  from 
literal  and  carnal  views  of  divine  revelation,  (v.  13.)  As 
the  head  and  the  horns,  furnishing  these  illustrations,  are 
throughout  those  of  the  beast,  so  the  adversary  oj  the 
cross  of  Christ  is  everywhere  the  real  operative,  the 
agent  of  the  dragon,  (the  legal  accuser  and  the  power 
adverse  to  man's  salvation,)  in  opposing  right  views  of 
Gospel  truth. 

In  the  end^  (corresponding  with  the  pouring  out  of  the 
last  vial,)  as  the  Lamb  overcomes  the  ten  legal  kings,  (v. 
14,)  this  same  power  of  the  law  (ten  horns  or  kings)  over- 
comes the  false  plan  of  salvation  or  mystery  of  the  harlot. 
The  triumph  of  the  Lamb  (Christ)  over  the  ten  kings 
(the  power  of  the  law)  and  the  triumph  of  the  power  of 
the  law  over  the  false  system  of  propitiation,  (the  mystery 

0 


272  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

of  the  harlot,)  together  with  what  is  afterwards  represent- 
ed as  the  conflagration  of  Babylon  and  the  victory  of  the 
Word  of  God  over  the  beast,  may  be  contemplated  as 
coincident,  being  different  illustrations  of  the  new  views 
resulting  from  the  change  in  the  construction  put  upon 
the  written  word ;  the  effect  of  the  effusion  of  the  seventh 
vial  or  test  apphed  to  the  air.  We  must  consider  the  de- 
scription of  the  harlot  in  her  glory,  as  relating  to  some- 
thing coincident  with  the  reign  of  the  beast  and  the  influ- 
ence of  the  false  prophet  and  the  worship  paid  to  the 
image,  (Rev.  13  :  1-18;)  all  prior  to  the  pouring  out  of  the 
vials  of  wrath ;  while  the  victory  of  the  Lamb  over  the 
ten  kings,  and  the  destruction  of  the  harlot  by  the  ten 
horns  of  the  beast,  must  be  something  coincident  with  the 
coming  of  Babylon  in  remembrance  before  God,  (Rev. 
16  :  19,)  and  is  accordingly  to  be  viewed  as  resulting  from 
the  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial.* 

The  harlot  system  is  figuratively  represented,  by  the 
hatred  of  the  ten  horns,  as  odioits  to  divine  justice,  (v.  16,) 
the  mixed  views  of  this  mystery  of  iniquity,  or  error,  pro- 
bably corresponding  with  the  character  of  the  ISTicolaitane 
doctrine,  (Rev.  2:6.)  The  ten  horns  hate\  the  harlot, 
and  make  her  desolate,  as  a  woman  in  the  wilderness  and 
without  her  offspring ;  naked^  as  destitute  of  any  garment 
of  salvation  or  robe  of  righteousness,  or  means  of  justifica- 
tion :  her  flesh,  or  pretensions  to  merit,  being  consumed  by 

*  As  sitting  or  enthroned  upon  peoples,  multitudes,  and  nations,  the  har- 
lot-mystery is  sustained  by  the  letter  of  revelation  without  the  spirit ;  as 
sitting  upon  the  ten-horned  beast,  the  same  mystery  is  sustained  by  the 
ad/versary  of  the  cross  with  the  power  of  the  broken  law. 

't  ?§  397,  398. 


FATE    OF   THE    HARLOT.  273 

the  Jire  of  the  revealed  word.  All  these  are  but  different 
illustrations  of  the  requisitions  of  the  law  of  God  fully  de- 
veloped, showing  the  entire  insufficiency  of  the  means  of 
propitiation  or  justification,  represented  as  the  mystery  of 
Babylon,  and  her  cup  of  mixture.  In  this  operation  the 
elements  of  the  law  may  be  said  to  be  unanimous,  agreemg 
in  this  destruction  of  the  mixed  propitiatory  system  of  the 
harlot,  while  in  a  certain  sense  they  give  their  kingdom  or 
reign  to  the  beast.  The  system  of  the  latter,  apart  from 
what  is  represented  by  its  image,  being  one  of  self-justi- 
fication, depends  for  its  support  upon,  the  pretension  of 
vindicating  the  power  of  the  law,  and  enforcing  its  requi- 
sitions ;  corresponding  with  the  transfer  of  the  diadems 
from  the  seven  heads  of  the  dragon  to  the  ten  horns  of 
the  beast ;  that  is,  for  a  season,  God  having  so  designed 
it  till  his  words  shall  be  fulfilled  (v.  17.)  This  fulfillment, 
we  may  presume  to  be  coincident  with  the  victory  of  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse  over  the  beast,  afterwards  de- 
scribed, (Rev.  19.)  Thus,  whilst  the  development  of  the 
law  of  God  is  sufficient  to  destroy  the  pretensions  of  the 
harlot  system  of  propitiation,  (a  mixture  of  the  merits  of 
man  with  the  merits  of  Christ,)  it  requii*es  a  complete  de- 
velopment of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace  (the  Word  of  God,)  to  overcome  the  pretensions  of 
the  ten-horned  beast,  sustained  as  they  are  by  the  power 
of  the  law.  As  it  is  only  the  creator  of  a  law  who  can 
dispense  with  its  requisitions,  (Mark  2  :  28,)  so  it  is  God 
alone  who  can  provide  for  the  fulfillment  of  his  law  by  a 
vicarious  arrangement  in  behalf  of  those  otherwise  subject 
to  its  requisitions.* 

*  According  to  some  editions  of  the  Greek,  the  ten  horns  and  tTie  beast 
12* 


274  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

The  angel  closes  his  explanation  here,  (Rev.  17:18,)  with 
the  information  that  the  woman  of  which  he  has  given 
an  accomit,  is  "  that  great  city^  which  reigneth  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth ;"  thus  identifying  the  harlot  Babylon 
with  the  city  Babylon,  as  two  figures  of  the  same  mystery, 
preparatory  to  the  exhibition  about  to  be  witnessed  by  the 
apostle,  on  his  return  to  the  position  he  had  occupied  be- 
fore having  been  taken  away  in  spirit  into  the  wilderness. 

The  expression,  that  great  city,  may  be  intended  also  to 
refer,  as  a  connecting  link,  to  the  close  of  the  preceding 
relation  of  the  effect  of  the  seventh  vial  upon  the  air,  in 
which  Babylon  is  said  to  come  in  remembrance  before 
God,  and  to  have  been  divided  into  three  parts,  referring 
us  again  to  the  ''•great  city,  spiritually  called  Sodom,  and 
Egypt,  and  where  our  Lord  was  crucified."    (Rev.  11 :  8.) 

The  city  is  said  to  be  that  "which  reigneth  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth."  The  Greek  term  rendered  Mngs^ 
signifies  either  pohtical  or  ecclesiastical  chiefs.  As  such 
chiefs,  these  kings  are  figures  of  ruling  principles  of  the 
earthly  system.  The  reigning  alluded  to,  carries  us  back 
to  the  condition  of  Babylon,  when  first  seen  in  her  glory, 

hate  the  harlot.  If  this  be  the  case,  the  beast  must  be  considered  a  figure 
of  self-justification  simply;  as  one  who  professes  to  stand  upon  his  rights 
under  the  law,  professing  ability  to  meet  its  requirements,  and  rejecting  all 
propositions  of  atonement,  in  which  there  is  an  admission  of  the  necessit}"- 
even  of  a  partial  admixture  of  the  merits  of  Christ.  But  the  rendering  of 
our  common  version  here  appears  preferable,  as  it  does  not  seem  in  keeping 
with  the  figures  that  the  beast  which  carries  the  woman,  and  upon  which 
she  sits  as  a  queen,  should  hate  her.  Besides  that,  the  harlot  is,  as  we  have 
supposed,  the  image  of  the  beast,  favoring  the  hostility  of  this  adversary  of 
the  cross,  by  her  mixed  plan  of  propitiation,  in  which  she  is  an  opposite  of 
the  bride  or  wife  of  the  Lamb.  * 

*  §  399. 


FATE   OF   THE    HARLOT.  275 

enthroned  upon  the  beast  with  the  ten  horns.  Hence  we 
may  conclude  these  ruling  principles  to  be  those  of  the 
law,  misused  alike  both  by  Babylon  and  by  the  adversary 
of  the  cross. 

These  kings  of  the  earth  must  be  also  those  engaged  in 
the  great  battle  with  their  armies,  (Rev.  19  :  19,)  as 
auxiliaries  of  the  beast.  The  reigning  of  the  Babylon- 
mystery  over  these  legal  principles,  is  therefore  equivalent 
to  a  perversion  of  the  law  to  the  support  of  a  false  system 
of  propitiation  ;  the  parent  of  all  other  systems  of  a  like 
character,  figuratively  the  mother  of  harlots.  This  per- 
version of  the  principles  of  the  law  by  their  admixture 
with  a  false  system  of  propitiation,  is  spoken  of  as  an  illicit 
intercourse  between  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  Babylon, 
to  which  mystery  these  principles  are  by  this  admixture 
made  subservient. 

We  may  suppose  the  chief  ingredient  in  the  cup  of  Baby- 
lon to  consist  mainly  of  the  proposition,  that  together  with 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  the  disciple  himself  must  do  some 
great  thi7ig  to  satisfy  the  law.  The  harlot  systems,  of 
which  this  of  Babylon  is  the  parent,  may  differ  as  to  the 
great  thing  or  meritorious  work  or  works  to  be  performed, 
but  they  have  all  the  same  abominable  pretension  of  mix- 
ing up  the  merits  of  Christ  with  those  of  the  disciple,  such 
as  they  are  supposed  to  be.  The  parent  error  may  appear 
under  a  variety  of  forms  in  its  offspring,  but  these  are  all 
to  be  traced  to  the  same  image  of  the  same  mystery  of 
iniquity.* 

Note.— Taking  the  earth  for  a  figure  of  the  platform  of  works,  as  opposed 
to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  and  the  products  of  the  earth  for 

*  §  400, 


276  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

the  works  themselves,  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  are  the  principles  of  self- 
justification,  sometimes  denominated  "men"  or  "  inhabiters  of  the  earth." 
These  earthly  principles  depend  for  their  authority  and  importance  upon  the 
supposed  unchangeable  requisitions  of  the  law.  If  the  law  be  contemplated 
as  unbroken,  its  requisitions  demand  complete  fulfillment  for  justification. 
If  the  law  be  contemplated  as  broken,  its  requisitions  demand  a  sufiicient 
propitiation.  These  legal  requisitions  may  accordingly  be  considered  the 
kings  or  ruling  principles  of  the  earth  and  its  inTiabiters. 

The  nations,  peoples,  multitudes,  and  tongues,  represented  by  the  Baby- 
lonish waters,  dififer  from  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  as  the  Gentiles  of  the 
Old  Testament  difi'ered  from  the  Jews.  They  are  doctrinal  principles, 
derived  from  a  carnal  or  literal  construction  of  divine  revelation,  and  hence, 
as  multitudinous  and  contradictory  in  the  language  they  speak,  as  were  the 
nations  of  the  world  in  the  confusion  of  tongues,  to  which  we  have  already 
adverted.  Such  principles,  it  must  be  evident,  are  easily  made  subservient 
to  the  harlot  views  of  a  mixed  element  of  propitiation,  although  they  may 
not  be  said  to  be  subject  to  the  legal  elements,  spoken  of  as  kings  of  the 
earth. 


DESOLATION    OF   BABYLON.  '  277 


CHAPTER    VII. 

FALL   OF   BABYLON    ANNOUNCED HER  DESOLATION — VOICE 

FEOM      HEAVEN SINS    OF   BABYLON — CONFLAGRATION — 

LAMENTATION  OR  COMMOS CALL  FOR  REJOICING — UTTER 

DESTRUCTION   OF   THE   CITY — BLOOD   FOUND. 

Act  v. —  Continued.     Scene:  The  Earth. 

And  after  these  things,*  the  apostle  says,  (Rev.  18  :  1,) 
he  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven — another 
message,  or  development,  from  the  heavenly  exhibitions 
of  truth,  throwing  an  extraordinary  light  upon  the  earthly 
system,  by  contrasting  it  with  the  glory  of  the  heavenly. 
The  purport  of  this  angel's  message  is  a  confirmation  of 
the  account  just  given  by  his  predecessor,  of  the  end  of 
Babylon,  which  is  thus  testified  by  the  voices  of  two 
witnesses. 

The  fall  of  Babylon  had  been  previously  proclaimed,  in 
a  heavenly  scene,  as  a  revelation  of  the  divine  purpose, 
(Rev.  14  :  8.)  It  is  now  announced  in  the  earthly  scene, 
as  a  fact  accomplished.  The  fall  consists  in  an  exhibition 
of  the  true  character  of  the  subject.  Thus  Babylon,  once 
in  appearance  so  wealthy,  so  populous,  and  so  magnificent, 
(all  that  is  impUed  in  the  term  great  in  a  city,)  is  now 
seen  to  be,  in  reaUty  but  "the  habitation  of  demons, 
the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  the  cage  of  every  un- 
clean and  hateful  bird." 

*  §  401. 


278  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

As  we  have  noticed  before,  the  influence  of  demons^ 
consisted  in  causing  those  possessed  to  see  things  in  a 
different  light  from  what  they  really  were  :  such  as  mis- 
taking tombs  for  tabernacles  or  habitations.  Analogous 
with  this  are  doctrines  tending  to  represent  the  righteous- 
ness of  man  by  works,  or  merits  of  his  own,  as  equivalent 
to  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  So,  the  hold,  or  place  of 
custody,  of  every  foul  spirit,  appears  to  symbolize  the 
depository  of  every  selfish  and  mercenary  principle;  as 
a  cage  of  unclean  and  hateful  birds  is  a  figure  of  a  collec- 
tion or  assemblage  of  mixed  and  self-righteous  doctrines ; 
the  whole  system,  or  mystery,  of  Babylon,  (as  an  opposite 
of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,)  comprehending 
this  variety  of  anti-christian  doctriaes. 

The  same  ingredients  apparently  enter  into  the  compo- 
sition of  the  drugged  wine  of  the  cup  with  which  the 
Gentilef  elements,  before  alluded  to,  have  been  perverted, 
or  made  to  particij)ate.  The  mixture  of  legal  elements 
ruling  in  the  platform  of  works  with  the  harlot's  false  plan 
of  propitiation,  is  here,  as  before  noticed,  represented  as 
an  illicit  intercourse  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  with  the 
harlot  queen.  In  addition  to  these  two  figures,  a  new  one 
is  here  introduced — that  of  the  merchants^;  of  the  earth, 
enriched  by  trading  in  the  luxuries  (delicacies)  of  Baby- 
lon. These  merchants  apparently  represent  those  merce- 
nary principles  of  the  earthly  system,  according  to  which 
the  means  of  eternal  life  (the  propitiation  for  sin)  are  sup- 
posed to  be  obtained  in  barter  for  the  merits  or  works  of 
man.  Such  principles  derive  their  value  (their  wealth)  from 
their  supposed  ability,  under  the  harlot  system,  to  furnish 

■»  §S  402, 403.  t  §  404.  X  %  405. 


THE   VOICE   FEOM   HEAVEN.  2*79 

certain  means  of  salvation,  spoken  of  as  the  luxuries  of 
Babylon — equivalent  to  the  wine  of  her  cup  of  propitia- 
tion. 

There  seems  to  be  here  a  designed  combination  of  the 
two  figures,  the  harlot  and  the  city,  (v.  3,)  for  the  purpose 
of  afibrding  illustrations  of  different  features  of  the  same 
system  or  mystery — ^the  unlawful  mixture  of  legal  princi- 
ples in  a  plan  of  propitiation  for  sin,  and  the  admission  of 
mercenary  principles,  as  motives^  in  which  the  gift  of  God 
is  regarded  as  a  matter  of  trade. 

The  ransom  of  a  man's  life,  it  is  well  said,  is  his  riches ; 
for,  as  it  is  also  said,  what  will  not  a  man  give  to  save  his 
hfe,  above  all,  his  eternal  life,  only  to  be  ransomed  by  the 
greatest  of  all  riches  ;  not  riches  to  be  obtained  in  barter 
with  God,  as  supposed  in  the  harlot  system,  but  riches  the 
free  gift  of  sovereign  grace. 

The  fallen  state  of  Babylon,  as  announced  by  the  angel, 
exhibits  the  worthlessness,  as  well  as  the  odious  character, 
of  the  mystery  or  system  she  represents ;  but  thus  far 
the  announcement  is  only  preparatory  to  the  account 
to  be  given,  imder  this  last  figure  as  a  city,  of  her  final  de- 
struction. 

In  the  mean  time,  bad  as  the  system  is,  there  are  cer- 
tain principles*  in  it  of  an  evangehcal  character — elements 
of  truth,  figuratively  spoken  of  as  the  people  of  God,  kept 
hitherto  in  captivity,  but  now  as  a  consequence  of  her  fall, 
having  the  way  open  for  their  escape.  This  feature  of  the 
mystery  may  be  another  reason  for  employing  here  the 
figure  of  a  city  to  afford  the  requisite  illustration. 

The  first  voice,  that  of  the  angel  "  liaving  great  pow- 

*  §  4nfi. 


280  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

er,"  (v.  1,)  corresponds  with  the  voice  of  the  law  rightly 
applied ;  equivalent  to  the  action  of  the  ten  horns,  in  eating 
the  flesh  of  the  harlot.  The  voice  from  heaven  (v.  4)  is 
that  of  the  Gospel  as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  rightly 
understood.  The  elements  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
which  had  become  mixed  up  and  misrepresented  iu  the 
harlot  plan,  are  here  called  upon,  figuratively,  to  separate 
themselves,  that  they  may  not,  ia  their  misrepresented  cha- 
racter, be  exposed  to  the  tests  or  plagues  which  the  false 
system  is  to  undergo. 

Here  we  have  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  Greek  terms 
translated  in  our  common  version  sins  and  iniquities^  are 
apphcable  to  errors  of  doctrine,  as  well  as  to  acts  of  im- 
morality.f  We  must  judge  of  the  meaning  intended  by 
the  subject  under  treatment;  any  divergence  from  the 
straight  line  of  truth,  is  doctrinally  sin  or  iniquity:  errors  of 
self-righteousness,  self-justification,  mercenary  principles, 
want  of  faith  or  trust  in  Christ,  are  sins  in  this  sense  of  the 
term.  Babylon  is  a  mystery^  so  declared  by  the  name  on 
her  forehead.  The  sins  and  iniquities  of  a  mystery  must 
be  therefore  of  the  character  of  errors,  and,  in  the  present 
case,  errors  as  opposed  to  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  The 
"  plagues"  visited  upon  these  sins  and  iniquities  are  tests 
apphed  to  so  many  doctrinal  errors,  or  to  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  error.  The  final  test  of  all  is  the  apj^lication  of  the 
revealed  word  of  God  in  its  proper  sense,  as  of  the  Jlre 
which  is  to  try  every  work. 

The  errors  of  Babylon   have   reached   such   a   crisis, 

*  §  407. 

t  The  English  term  miquUy  has  the  same   import— unevenness,  want 
of  conformity  to  any  given  line  or  standard. 


THE    VOICE   FEOM    HEAVEN.  281 

affecting  the  exhibition  of  Gospel  truths,  (heaven,)  as  to 
call  for  immediate  visitation.  She  has  now  come  into  re- 
membrance before  God,  (Rev.  16  :  19,)  or,  as  it  is  said 
here,  (v.  15,)  God  hath  remembered  her  iniquities.  The 
6?ow6?e'^  retribution  called  for,  seems  to  be  that  symbolized 
by  tiie  action  of  the  ten  horns  (the  law)  and  that  of  fire, 
(the  revealed  word  of  God,)  both  in  the  spirit,  not  merely 
the  letter. 

The  Babylonish  mystery  has  kept  the  elements  of  Gos- 
pel truth  in  a  state  of  captivity  and  subservience ;  now 
they  are  called  upon  to  react  upon  that  mystery  or  sys- 
tem, giving  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works.  The 
elements  of  truth,  liberated  from  their  state  of  bondage, 
by  the  fall  of  Babylon,  become  in  their  turn  instruments 
of  trial,  ("  torment,")  acting  as  tests,  showing,  as  by  tor- 
ture upon  the  rack,  the  real  destitution  of  the  system — ^its 
want  of  any  provision  of  glory,  happiness,  or  eternal  life. 
All  this  is  shown  at  once — ^these  plagues  or  tests  coming 
in  "  one  day,"  all  at  the  same  time — death,  mourning,  and 
famine ;  legal  condemnation,  as  opposed  to  the  preten- 
sion of  sovereignty,  (sitting  asa  queen;)f  mourning  as  for 
the  loss  of  a  husband,  opposed  to  the  pretension  of  not  being 
a  widow,  (Babylon  pretending  to  substitute  herself  for  the 
wife  of  the  Lamb  ;)  and  famine,  the  want  of  any  means  of 
eternal  life — an  opposite  of  the  boasted  exemption  from 
any  cause  of  sorrow ;  finally,  utter  destruction  hyjire,  the 
fire  of  the  word  of  God,  of  which  the  other  tests  may  be 
considered  partial  developments. 

The  law  brought  to  bear,  as  a  test,  upon  the  false  sys- 
tem of  propitiation,  exhibits  its  incapacity  for  the  purpose 

*  §  408.  t  §  409. 


282  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

pretended.  The  fire  of  the  word  of  God,  by  bringing  the 
true  system  of  salvation  into  immediate  comj^arison  with 
the  false,  in  addition  to  the  action  of  the  law,  finishes  the 
operation;  as  the  just  exhibition  of  truth  completes  the 
destruction  of  falsehood.  Difference  of  time  being  exclud- 
ed, (Rev.  10  :  9,)  this  destruction  of  Babylon  may  be  con- 
sidered coincident  with  the  triumph  of  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse,  exhibited  in  the  next  chapter. 

This  action  of  the  word  of  God  is  here  (v.  1)  spoken  of 
as  a  fiery  trial,  or  torture  to  elicit  truth ;  the  idea  of  this 
test  corresponding  with  the  figure  of  the  subject  to  be 
tried  :  if  that  figure  be  one  of  mere  matter,  the  fire  is  that 
of  the  alchemist,  in  an  operation  in  which,  as  was  suppos- 
ed, every  substance  but  pure  gold  would  be  consumed  ; 
if  the  figure  be  animal,  the  Jire  is  that  of  the  inquisitor. 
In  either  case  the  result  proves,  in  the  present  instance, 
the  strength  of  the  power  employed.  "  Strong  is  the 
Lord,  who  condemneth  her,"  therefore  she  is  utterly  con- 
sumed.* 

The  evidence  of  this  fiery  process  (the  smoke)  calls 
forth  the  lamentation  of  the  kmgs  of  the  earth — ruling 
principles  of  legality,  heretofore  connected  with  the  false 
system  of  propitiation,  but  now  deprived  of  this  resource. 
Babylon  being  destroyed,  the  wine  of  her  cup  (her  lux- 
uries) is  no  more  to  be  enjoyed.  The  illicit  commingling 
of  principles  of  law  with  principles  of  a  misrepresented 
Gospel,  ceases.f 

The  merchants  of  the  earthj  have  a  like  cause  to 
mourn;  Babylon  gave   her  luxuries,  her  pretensions  to 

*  §  410.  t  §  411.  X  %  412. 


LAMENTATION.  283 

merit,  (corresponding  with  the  abominable  mixture  of 
her  cup,)  m  exchange  for  the  figurative  articles  of  com- 
merce enumerated ;  as  pretended  means  of  propitiation 
may  be  said  to  be  given  in  exchange  for  the  pretended 
merits  of  good  works.  These  pretended  merits  are  worth 
nothing  if  they  can  not  procure  an  atonement  for  siu,  and  so 
Babylon  is  represented  as  the  only  purchaser  of  these  pro- 
ducts of  the  earth.  Her  end  being  come,  the  occupation 
of  these  traders  (mercenary  principles)  is  gone  :  "  No  man 
buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more." 

The  earthly  products  here  (v.  12-14)  enumerated,  have 
no  doubt  some  significance  peculiar  to  each,*  but  it  is 
enough  for  us  to  notice  their  correspondence  with  the 
gifts  of  the  people  under  the  legal  dispensation  to  the  tab- 
erDacle  in  the  wilderness.  The  people  gave,  it  is  said, 
willingly.  They  gave  willingly,  for  every  one  considered 
that  in  giving,  a  certain  degree  of  merit  was  established. 
They  gave  these  products  of  the  earth  in  exchange,  as 
they  considered,  for  the  benefits  afforded  by  the  old  tab- 
ernacle. 

The  ship-masters,  ship-owners,  and  sailors,f  represent 
principles  of  the  same  character — principles  of  the  earthly 
system  of  works,  applying  the  pretended  merits  of  man  to 
a  supposed  system  or  way  of  salvation.  The  system  or 
mystery  beiug  exploded,  its  entire  fallacy  being  shown, 
these  principles  have  thus,  figuratively  speaking,  the  same 
reason  as  with  the  preceding  to  lament  the  loss  of  all 
that  gave  value  to  the  commerce  in  which  they  were  en- 
gaged. 

*  §  413.  t  §  414. 


284  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

The  voice  fi'om  heaven,*  giving  these  particulars,  con 
eludes  with  a  call  on  heaven,  and  the  holy  apostles  and 
prophets,  to  rejoice  over  the  fallen  city,  for  the  reason 
that  God  has  avenged  them  on  her.  The  mystery,  or 
false  scheme  of  propitiation,  represented  by  Babylon,  has 
misrepresented  the  true  plan  of  salvation,  (heaven,)  as  ex- 
hibited in  divine  revelation,  and  all  that  is  said  of  it  by 
the  apostles  and  prophets.  These  elements  of  truth  are 
now  vindicated ;  the  ftitilityf  of  the  harlot  system  being  ex- 
posed by  having  its  pretensions  brought  into  juxtaposi- 
tion with  the  requisitions  of  the  law,  and  by  being  com- 
pared with  the  revealed  word  under  its  right  construc- 
tion, the  rejoicing  here  called  for  (v.  20)  is  in  effect  the 
triumph  of  truth  over  error,  in  matters  of  doctrine  relat- 
ing to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation.  The  crisis  has  now 
arrived  for  avenging  the  blood  of  the  souls  under  the 
altar.  That  crisis  we  suppose  to  be  brought  about  by  the 
effusion  of  the  seventh  vial  upon  the  air:  the  whole  of 
these  changes  resulting  from  the  true  construction  put 
upon  the  written  word,  the  result  of  the  test  applied  to 
the  medium  of  interpretation;  the  prevalence  of  the 
mystery  of  error  having  been  the  result  of  the  false  con- 
struction symbolized  by  the  state  of  the  air  before  the 
operation  of  the  test  apphed  to  it. 

The  exposure  of  the  delusive,  mercenary,  and  doctrinal- 
ly  impure  character  of  the  Babylonish  mystery,  or  earthly 
system  of  propitiation,  is  here  represented  as  a  cause  of 

*  As  in  the  management  of  the  Greek  drama,  matters  which  could  not  be 
well  represented  in  the  scene,  were  recited  by  a  mesenger  or  chorus, 
t  §  415. 


ENTIKE   DESTRUCTION.  285 

rejoicing  on  the  part  of  all  the  heavenly  elements  of  revela- 
tion ;  these  apostles,  prophets,  souls  under  the  altar,  and 
theii-  brethren,  beiug  opposites  of  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
merchants,  ship-masters,  and  traders,  as  Babylon  herself 
is  an  opposite  of  the  holy  Jerusalem. 

The  apostle  does  not  speak  of  the  destruction  of  the 
harlot,  or  harlot  city,  by  the  ten  horns,  or  by  fire,  as  some- 
thing seen  by  him,  but  as  something  related  to  him.  He 
saw,  however,  the  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  (Rev. 
18  :  1,)  declaring  the  fallen  condition  of  Babylon,  and  tak- 
ing the  Greek  cardinal  for  an  ordinal,  (as  is  sometimes 
allowable,)  he  now  apparently  sees  the  same  angel*  take 
up  a  stone  like  a  great  mill-stone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea, 
comparing  with  that  action  the  impulsive  violence  with 
which  the  city  (this  system  of  error)  is  to  be  destroyed. 
The  declaration  Rev.  18:2  should  be  read  in  connection 
mth  the  close  of  3d  verse  of  that  chapter  ;  as  if  the  mighty 
angel  seen  to  come  down  from  heaven,  had  suspended  his 
further  action  till  the  recital  of  the  particulars  given  by 
the  voice  from  heaven  was  concluded ;  he  then,  as  it  were, 
in  confirmation  of  that  announcement,  describes  the  sud- 
den violence  of  the  destruction  under  contemplation.  The 
indignant  impulse  expressed  in  his  action  with  the  great 
stone,  corresponds  with  the  language  of  the  prophet.  Is. 
1  :  10-15,  as  if  the  error  of  the  system  were  such  as  to  be 
borne  no  longer ;  the  comparison  also  so  nearly  according 
with  that  of  another  pro^^het,  (Jer.  51  :  63,  64,)  as  to  lead 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  Babylon  of  old  and  that  of  the 
Apocalypse,  are  figures  of  the  same  mystery. 

The  particulars  given,  verses  22  and  23,  of  thef  entire- 

*  §  416.  1  §  417. 


286  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

ness  of  this  destruction  indicate  the  pretensions  of  the 
false  system  symbolized.  Babylon  pretended  to  possess 
the  elements  of  praise,  joy,  rejoicing,  and  triumph.  The 
city  being  destroyed,  these  pretensions  cease.  The  voices 
of  harpers,  musicians,  pipers,  trumpeters,  are  heard  no 
more.  No  craftsman  of  whatsoever  craft  will  be  found 
there ;  no  room  now  for  pretensions  to  the  merit  of 
works  of  any  kind.  The  sound  of  the  mill-stone  is  not 
heard — ^there  is  not  even  the  preparation  for  bread.  The 
pretensions  of  furnishing  the  bread  or  means  of  eternal 
life  cease.  Neither  is  there  room  any  more  for  pretensions 
to  the  light  of  righteousness ;  not  even  so  as  to  be  com- 
pared to  the  light  of  a  candle.*  The  voice  of  the  bride 
and  bridegroom  are  no  more  heard  in  Babylon,  still  less  is 
there  room  for  any  pretension  to  an  equivalent  of  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Lamb's  wife.f 

The  reasons  given  for  this  complete  destruction  of  the 
harlot  city,  are  that  her  merchants!  were  the  great  men 
of  the  earth,  and  by  her  sorceries  (pharmacies)  all  nations 
were  deceived.  Mercenary  principles  of  action  and  false 
remedies  for  the  evil  of  sin,  are  the  distinguishing  charac- 
teristics of  the  system.    The  merchants  of  Babylon  were 


*  The  Greek  term  translated  candle  here,  is  the  same  as  that  rendered  by- 
light,  (Rev.  21 :  23,)  where  the  Lamb  is  said  to  be  the  light  (candle)  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.  As  there  is  not  even  the  light  of  a  candle  in  Babylon,  so 
there  is  not  in  her  system  any  exhibition  of  the  righteousness  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  Lamb  is  not  the  candle  of  that  mystery,  neither  is  there  in  it 
any  exhibition  of  the  glory  of  God. 

t  A  comparison  of  this  picture  of  desolation  with  the  description  given 
of  the  New  Jerusalen  at  the  close  of  the  vision,  will  throw  light  on  the 
elements  of  both  mysteries. 

:  §  418. 


BLOOD   FOUND    IN   THE   RUINS.  287 

the  great  men  of  the  earth — prominent  mercenary  princi- 
ples of  the  earthly  system  of  works.  They  dealt  in  the 
products  of  the  earth — pretended  merits  of  the  earthly 
system.  The  luxuries  (pretended  means  of  eternal  hap- 
piness) and  the  false  remedies  of  Babylon,  were  exchang- 
ed for  works  or  meritorious  actions  equally  pretended. 
As  the  priests  and  Levites,  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour,  made 
the  temple  a  house  of  merchandise,  so  the  Babylonish  sys- 
tem makes  merchandise  of  the  elements  of  the  way  of 
salvation,  equivalent  to  representing  the  pardon  of  sin 
and  eternal  happiness,  a  compensation  for  certain  merito- 
rious works  or  service  of  the  disciple. 

The  pharmacies  of  Babylon,  are  apparently  such  as 
compose  the  mixed  wine  of  her  cup  of  abominations — 
opposites  of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  although  put  forth 
as  a  substitute  for  it.  By  these  the  nations  or  Gentiles 
were  deluded,  as  elements  of  doctrine  founded  upon  the 
letter  or  carnal  sense  of  revelation  are  most  easily  per- 
verted to  the  support  of  false  views  of  the  way  of  salva- 
tion. 

The  blood*  of  prophets  and  saints  found  in  Babylon, 
(v.  24,)  has  been  already  alluded  to  as  that  of  the  souls 
under  the  altar,  (Rev.  6  :  10.)  It  is  now  vindicated.  Tlie 
harlot  system,  or  mystery,  had  prevailed  by  depriving  the 
elements  of  written  revelation  of  their  spirit  sense,  (life  or 
blood.)  The  purification  of  the  medium  of  construction 
(figuratively,  the  test  applied  to  the  air)  reveals  this  fact 
amongst  others.  These  holy  elements^  thus  deprived  of 
their  true  sense,  are  said  to  be  slain  or  slaughtered  upon 
the  earth — sacrificed  to  sustain  the  views  of  the  earthly 

*  %%  413.  420, 


288  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

system,  of  which  Babylon  may  be  termed  the  imperial 
principle.  This  slaughter,  however,  was  not  openly  or 
professedly  such ;  accordingly  it  is  not  till  after  the  de- 
struction of  the  city  that  the  secrets  of  her  prison-house  are 
brought  to  light.* 

We  have  now  come  to  a  conclusion  of  the  history  of 
Babylon — ^her  rise  and  fall ;  her  rise  as  an  image  of  the 
beast,  created  by  the  influence  of  the  false  prophet ;  the 
flourishing  period  of  her  reign,  as  seen  in  the  wilderness ; 
and  her  final  destruction.  The  latter  is  the  more  appro- 
priately compared  to  the  engulfing  of  a  mill-stone  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  (the  roaring  waves  closing  over  it  so  that 
it  is  seen  no  more  for  ever,)  as  the  sea,  according  to  our 
uniform  interpretation,  is  a  figure  of  judicial  wrath — the 
vengeance  of  the  broken  law,  Avith  which  the  Babylonish 
way  of  salvation  pretended  to  cope.  The  two  are  no 
sooner  brought  together  than  the  power  of  the  broken 
law  is  seen  to  overwhehn  entirely  the  pretended  means  of 
escape ;  a  figure  corresponding  with  that  of  the  action  of 
the  ten  horns  upon  the  harlot  herself. 

We  meet  with  nothing  more  of  Babylon  in  the  remain- 
der of  the  Apocalypse,  except  an  allusion  in  the  last  choral 
scene  to  the  justice  of  her  doom,  (Rev.  19:2.)  She  ap- 
pears to  have  been  entirely  destroyed,  in  order  to  give 
place  to  the  wife  of  the  Lamb ;  as  if  the  two  could  not  be 
supposed  to  exist  together,  or  as  if  the  two  represented 
the  same  mystery  under  difierent  aspects,  or  seen  through 
different  mediums  of  contemplation.  The  false  appear- 
ance must  be  removed  before  the  correct  view  can  be  ex- 
hibited.   This  may  account  for  the  absence  of  the  figures 

*  §  421. 


EFFECT   OF  THE   SEVENTH   VIAL.  289 

of  Babylon,  the  harlot,  and  the  image,  in  the  last  act^  which 
denominate  the  catastrophe.  Any  notion  of  the  difference 
of  time,  however,  must  be  discarded.  The  beast  and  his 
image,  together  with  the  false  prophet,  or  false  construc- 
tion, come  to  their  end  coincidently,  the  same  action  on 
the  air,  of  the  seventh  vial,  exposing  to  view  the  true  cha. 
racter  of  all ;  or,  according  to  the  apostle  Paul,  he  that 
let  or  kindred  (this  false  construction)  being  taken  out  of 
the  way,  and  the  true  construction  (the  spirit  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord)  taken  in  its  place,  "  that  wicked"  is 
revealed. 

Note.— In  keeping  with  the  figure  of  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates, 
preparatory  to  the  conflagration  of  Babylon,  no  mention  is  made  in  the  de- 
scription of  that  destruction  of  any  river  or  fountain.  The  great  river  was 
dried  up,  and  with  it  the  many  waters  upon  which  the  harlot  sat,  (as  a 
queen ;)  streams  from  the  Euphrates,  as  we  have  supposed,  irrigating  the 
city,  Babylon  may  be  said,  figuratively,  to  have  been  consumed  for  want  of 
water ;  thus  symbolizing  a  plan  of  salvation  of  which  the  fallacy  is  mani- 
fested by  its  destitution  of  any  adequate  atoning  element,  or  means  of  pro- 
pitiation. 

13 


290  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Last   Chorus,    or   Exodus, 
choral  songs  and  responses — ^bride's  preparation  for 

THE  MARRIAGE  FEAST  ANNOUNCED — BLESSEDNESS  OP  THE 
GUESTS — ^ADMONITION   OP  THE  ANGEL. 

Act  VI.    /S'ce7^e;  Heaven. 

We  come  now  (Rev.  19  ;  1-7)  to  the  sixth  and  last 
choral  division  of  the  apocalyptic  representation,  equivalent 
to  the  Greek  exodus^  the  subsequent  matter  corresponding 
with  what  is  commonly  called  the  catastrophe. 

The  scene  to  be  imagined  here  is  that  described  prior 
to  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book.  Indeed,  we  are  re- 
minded by  it  that  such  has  been  the  scene  in  the  back- 
ground throughout,  (Rev.  4  :  3-6 ;)  the  whole  exhibition 
having  been  represented  in  the  presence  of  the  throne  and 
Him  that  sat  upon  it,  and  of  the  twenty-four  elders  round 
about  the  throne,  and  the  four  Hving  creatures  in  the  midst 
and  round  about  the  throne.* 

The  apostle  hears  a  great  voice,  as  (Gr.)  of  much  people 
in  heaven,  saying :  "  Alleluia,"  (praise  Jehovah,)  "  salva- 
tion, and  glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our 
God." 

The  crisis  contemplated  is  that  of  th^  end,  alluded  to  by 

*  §  422. 


LAST   CHOKIJS,    OR  EXODUS.  291 

the  apostle  Paul,  (1  Cor.  15  :  24-28,)  when  the  Son  shall 
have  given  up  thekmgdom  unto  the  Father;  salvaUo7i'hemg 
ascribed  on  this  occasion  to  the  Lord  God  alone,  and  to 
him  alone  also  is  the  ascription  of  glory,  honor,  and  power. 
Before  the  opening  of  the  sealed  book,  glory,  honor,  and 
power  were  ascribed  to  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  as  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  and  as  having  created  all  things  for 
his  own  pleasure.  Now,  these  sacred  attributes  are  ascribed 
to  him  as  the  Saviour  of  all.  On  the  opening  of  the  sealed 
book,  the  Lamb  was  declared  worthy  to  receive  power, 
and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and 
glory ;  that  is,  we  may  presume,  to  receive  these  from  the 
Sovereign  on  the  throne,  (corresponding  with  the  declara- 
tion of  the  Father,  Ps.  45  :  6 ;  Heb.  1  :  8,)  and  blessing, 
and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  were  ascribed  to  the 
Lamb,  in  conjunction  with  "Him  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne;"  but  now,  in  this  choral  action,  the  figure  of  the 
Lamb  seems  to  be  merged  in  the  presentation  of  the 
sovereign  Ruler ;  as  we  find  the  emblem  of  sovereignty 
(the  throne)  afterwards  spoken  of  as  that  of  God  and  the 
Lamb. 

The  especial  cause  for  the  ascription  by  this  great  voice 
of  much  people  is  the  truth  and  justice  of  the  condemnation* 
passed  upon  the  great  harlot,  by  whom  the  earth  had  been 
corrupted,  and  in  whose  destruction  the  blood  of  the  servants 
of  the  Lord  (souls  under  the  altar)  had  been  avenged.  The 
ascription  of  salvation  to  its  true  source  is  thus  a  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  as  the  exposure  of 
the  falsehood  of  the  harlot  system  is  a  means  of  setting 
forth  the  divine  plan  of  redemption  in  its  true  Hght. 

*  §  423. 


292  THE    SEALED   BOOK. 

The  harlot  system  corrupted  the  earth  by  niingling  legal 
prmciples  with  elements  of  self-justification,  amalgamating 
pretended  merits  of  man  with  the  propitiation  of  Christ ; 
the  manifestation  of  the  truth,  by  restoring  to  the  elements 
of  divine  revelation  their  spirit-sense^  and  thus  vindicating 
the  cause  of  the  martyrs,  constitutes  the  avenging  of  their 
blood.  For  this  Jehovah  alone  is  to  be  praised,  his 
praise  comprehending  that  of  the  Lamb,  which  seems  im- 
pHed  in  the  repetition  of  the  chorus  :  "  and  again  they  said, 
Alleluia.'''' 

While  these  praises  are  being  offered,  the  smoke  of  Ba- 
bylon (the  evidence  of  her  trial  by  the  Word  of  God)  is 
said  to  rise  up  for  ever  and  ever:  this  evidence  of  the  de- 
struction of  error,  as  well  as  of  the  praise  due  for  it,  being 
something  continually  in  operation,  not  an  event  occurring 
at  a  particular  moment.  As  in  the  mind  of  the  disciple, 
wherever  and  whenever  the  revealed  word  of  God  is 
brought  to  bear  in  its  proper  sense  upon  the  errors  repre- 
sented by  the  harlot  system,  there  and  then  Babylon  is 
destroyed. 

Thus  far  these  choral  praises  seem  to  be  retrospective  ; 
but  considering  the  harlot  the  image  of  the  beast,  and 
her  destruction  coincident  with  his,  (afterwards  exhibited,) 
we  may  view  the  action  as  applicable  to  both. 

In  response  to  the  ascription  of  the  great  voice  of  much 
people  in  heaven,  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  and  the  four 
living  creatures*  prostrate  themselves  before  the  throne, 
and  worship,  it  is  said, "  God  that  sat  on  the  throne,"  saying. 
Amen ;  Alleluia^  (praise  Jehovah.)  To  which  again  an- 
other voice  from  the  throne  responds,  calling  upon  all  the 

*  §  424. 


LAST  CHORUS,  OR  EXODUS.  293 

servants  of  God,  (elements  of  revelation,)  small  and  great, 
to  praise  him ;  while  other  voices,  as  of  a  great  multitude, 
and  as  of  the  noise  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of 
mighty  thunderings,  join  in  the  loud  Alleluia^  assigning 
for  the  reason  of  this  action  the  truth  that  the  Lord  God 
omnipotent  reigneth.  The  great  cause  of  praise  is  thus 
distinctly  set  forth  to  be  the  manifestation  of  divine  sove- 
reignty^ as  it  is  expressed  by  the  twenty-four  elders,  on  the 
sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  that  the  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty had  taken  to  himself  his  great  power  and  had 
reigned,  that  is,  had  manifested  his  perfect  sovereignty, 
especially,  we  may  add,  in  the  matter  of  man's  salvation. 

The  twenty-four  elders,  we  have  supposed  from  their 
number,  to  represent  the  two  dispensations,  or  first  and 
second  covenants.  From  their  position  around  the  throne, 
(Rev.  4  :  3,)  we  may  suppose  it  their  duty  to  maintain  or 
guard  the  attributes  of  divine  sovereignty.  In  other  words, 
their  position  and  number  indicate  the  great  purpose  of 
the  whole  plan  of  redemption  (as  revealed  in  both  Testa- 
ments) to  be  that  of  exhibiting  and  maintaining  the  doc- 
trine of  God's  perfect  sovereignty  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion, as  in  that  of  creation. 

The  four  living  creatures  are  described  (Rev.  9  ;  6)  as 
in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  as  well  as  round  about  the 
throne,  corresponding  with  the  position  of  the  Lamb  as  it 
had  been  slain,  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  (Rev.  5  :  6,) 
for  which  reason  we  have  considered  these  four  elements 
of  the  throne  symbolic  of  so  many  attributes  of  the  Creator 
and  Governor  of  all  things.  These  all  consistently  unite 
in  giving  thanks  that  this  perfect  sovereignty  of  God  is  now 
being  manifested,  as  we  shall  find  it  more  iully  developed  in 


294  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

the  subsequent  portion  of  the  vision.  The  language  of  this 
chorus,  as  well  as  that  at  the  seventh  trumpet  soimd,  is 
partially  prospective  in  the  order  of  the  exhibition,  al- 
though in  other  respects  no  difference  of  time  is  to  be 
supposed. 

In  the  choral  song  of  the  twenty-four  elders  immediately 
on  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  or  last  trumpet,  (Rev. 
11  :  18,)  they  give  thanks  that  "the  time  of  the  dead  that 
they  should  be  judged,  is  come,"  and  that  "  those  that 
destroy  or  corrupt  the  earth,  should  be  destroyed,"  yet  it 
is  not  till  we  reach  the  account  just  given  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Babylon,  that  we  perceive  this  time  to  have  come. 
She  was  evidently,  as  declared,  (Rev.  19  ;  2,)  of  the  cate- 
gory of  those  that  corrupt  the  earth ;  whence  we  may  con- 
clude, associating  her  destruction  with  the  victories  of  the 
Word  of  God  over  the  beast  and  Satan,  and  the  judgment 
scene  about  to  be  described,  that  the  whole  of  these  re- 
presentations apply  to  this  thne  of  the  dead.  So  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  New  Jerusalem,  together  with  the  thrones 
of  judgment  given  to  the  souls  of  the  witnesses,  (Rev. 
20  :  4,)  at  the  close  of  the  vision,  are  illustrative  of  the  re- 
\jcard  given  to  the  servants  of  God,  as  well  as  of  the  vindi- 
cation of  their  cause.  These  choral  actions,  it  is  to  be 
remembered,  also,  are  all  in  heaven,  where  things  to  he  are 
contemplated  as  already  done.  They  thus  forereach  in 
their  application  to  the  matter  about  to  be  presented. 

The  language  of  the  last  voice,  that  compared  to  a  great 
multitude,  to  the  sound  of  mighty  thunderings,  and  to  the 
noise  of  many  waters,  may  correspond  with  that  of  every 
creature  in  heaven,  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth, 
(Rev.  5  :  12,)  in  calling  for  gladness,  and  rejoicing,  and 


THE  MAEEIAGE.  295 

honor  to  God,  on  occasion  of  the  approaching  marriage 
festival,  for  which  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb  has  made  herself 
ready.  According  to  the  figure  here  employed,  it  is  the 
Father  that  gives  the  feast,  (v.  9,)  and  to  him  the  honor 
is  to  be  given ;  as  it  is  God  who  has  formed,  and  who 
communicates  in  the  Gospel,  his  plan  of  salvation,  of  which 
the  Lamb  and  his  Bride  are  the  elements.* 

The  term  translated  marriage,  (Rev.  19*7,)  has  refer- 
ence more  particularly  to  the  feastf  given  in  celebration 
of  the  marriage,  spoken  of  in  the  same  connection  as  the 
marriage -supper;  this  feast  being,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  Hebrews,  equivalent  to  a  publication  of  the 
marriage.  The  guests,  thus  made  acquainted  with  the 
fact  of  the  union,  are  so  many  witnesses,  qualified  to  bear 
testimony  to  it,  if  need  be,  afterward. 

The  unio7i  of  the  Lamb  and  his  bride  existed  in  the  un- 
changeable mind  of  Jehovah  from  all  eternity,  but  its 
manifestation,  a  result  of  that  of  divine  sovereignty  as  a 
matter  of  revelation,  may  be  said  to  be  an  event  occurring 
at  a  certain  crisis ;  1;he  elements  of  divine  revelation  being 
the  witnesses  to  that  manifestation.  On  the  present  occa- 
sion, these  witnesses  may  be  said  to  be  called  out  to  per- 
form their  part,  having  hitherto  been  kept  back  or  sup- 
pressed, as  we  have  found  them  under  the  appellation  of 
saints,  prophets,  and  souls  under  the  altar.  Now  that 
Babylon  is  destroyed,  (the  last  test  having  been  appUed 

*  The  voice  of  the  great  multitude  is  the  overwhelming  voice :  that  of 
great  waters  may  apply  to  all  elements  of  atonement;  as  that  of  great  thun- 
derings  indicates  the  language  of  Sinai.  All  rejoice  in  the  manifestation  about 
to  be  made. 

t  §  425. 


296  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

to  the  a^>,)  these  witnesses  are  released;  the  same 
changes  constituting  apparently  the  preparation  for  the 
feast,  or  manifestation,  by  which  the  wife  of  the  Lamb  has 
made  herself  ready.  So  long  as  the  harlot  was  reigning  as 
a  queen,  the  Lamb's  wife  was  in  seclusion  in  the  wilderness : 
as  truth  can  not  appear  while  error  occupies  its  place.  The 
seme  operation  that  destroys  the  error  exhibits  the  truth. 
Thus  the  destruction  of  the  harlot  is  the  preparation  for 
the  appearance  of  the  bride.  How  the  latter  may  be  said 
to  have  made  herself  ready,  wiU  appear  in  considering 
what  she  really  is. 

"  To  her  it  was  given,"*  it  is  said,  "  to  be  arrayed  in  fine 
linen,  clean  and  white" — splendidly  pure  and  white,  corre- 
sponding with  the  appearance  of  the  raiment  of  Jesus 
Christ,  as  seen  by  the  three  apostles  on  the  mount,  the 
fine  linen  being,  as  it  is  declared,  the  righteousness  of  the 
saints ;  that  is,  the  righteousness  to  which  the  saints  (ele- 
ments of  divine  revelation)  bear  witness — saints  such  as 
those  whose  blood  (spirit-sense)  was  found  in  the  ruins  of 
Babylon. 

The  wife  of  the  Lamb,  as  we  shall  learn  from  her  New 
Jerusalem  character,  is  a  figure  of  the  divine  purpose  of 
salvation  by  grace,  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  It  is  gwen  (v.  8)  to  this  symbolic  figure  to  exhibit 
the  divine  righteousness,  provided  in  God's  plan  of  re- 
demption for  that  justification  by  grace,  through  the  im- 
puted righteousness  of  Christ,  which  can  not  be  obtained 
by  works  of  the  law.  As  the  harlot  assumed  the  gorgeous 
apparel  of  the  legal  tabernacle,  characteristic  of  the 
works  of  the  law,  so  the  wife  of  the  Lamb  appears  in  the 

*  §  426. 


THE   MARRIAGE.  29*7 

array  of  divine  righteousness,  symbolized  by  her  garments 
white  as  the  light.  The  bride,  however,  has  not  yet  (in 
the  order  of  the  representation)  made  her  appearance ;  her 
readiness  or  preparation  only  is  here  annomiced.  The  re- 
moval of  some  obstacles  to  her  appearance,  although  it 
has  actually  taken  place,  has  not  yet  been  exhibited. 

Here  the  apostle  is  directed  to  write  that  which  is 
afterwards  dictated  to  him,  "  Blessed  those  called  to  the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb;"  and  apparently,  as  if 
asked*  who  are  these,  the  angel  in  attendance  adds, 
"  These  are  the  true  sayings  of  God."  These  true  sayings, 
or  words,  are,  as  we  apprehend,  the  elements  of  truth  be- 
longing to  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  personified  as 
guests  called  to  the  marriage  feast,  and  witnesses  of 
the  manifestation  of  that  union.  They  are  figuratively 
pronounced  blessed^  as  the  language  of  the  passage,  and 
indeed  of  the  whole  vision,  is  figurative.f 

The  importance  of  marriage  feasts  with  the  ancients, 
and  that  of  the  testimony  afibrded  by  the  guests,  will  ap- 
pear from  the  consideration  that  on  the  reality  of  this  rite 
depended  in  law  the  accounted  one7iess  of  the  husband 
and  wife,  and  of  consequence  all  questions  pertaining  to 
the  legitimacy  of  children  and  rights  of  inheritance, 
whether  of  rank,  wealth,  or  power.  Hence  with  persons 
of  distinction  these  feasts  continued  for  days  and  weeks, 
other  modes  of  publicity  being  then  wanting. 

The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  marriage  rite, 

*  §  427. 

t  As  the  expression  of  a  chorus  of  one  voice,  these  words  may  be  consid- 
ered exceptions  to  our  general  rule  of  interpretation,  but  we  do  not  see  the 
necessity  of  it  here. 

13* 


298  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

in  a  scriptural  point  of  view,  is  this  accounted  oneness  of 
the  two  parties,  and  here  we  perceive  the  importance  of 
the  elements  of  divine  revelation  in  testifying  to  the  one- 
ness of  the  bride  and  of  the  Lamb  ;  as  we  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  show,  in  the  issue,  that  the  Lamb  and  the  wife  of 
the  Lamb  are  but  two  figures  of  the  same  being. 

The  account  given  by  the  apostle,*  at  the  close  of  this 
choral  scene,  (Rev.  19  :  10,)  of  his  mistake  in  supposing  his 
angehc  companion  to  be  an  object  of  worship,  appears  to 
have  two  objects — the  first  to  remind  us  that,  whatever 
has  been,  and  whatever  may  yet  be  represented  in  this 
vision,  God  alone  is  the  object  of  worship.  If  the  Lamb 
and  the  Word  of  God,  both  of  whom  are  entitled  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  are  to  be  worshipped,  it  must  be 
that  they  are  both  identified  with  the  sovereign  God.  If 
the  Word  of  God  be  impersonated  in  the  Son,  and  the 
Son  be  worshipped  as  the  Father,  then  the  Word  of  God, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  God  the  Father,  are  one  and  the 
same  Being,  contemplated  under  these  difierent  aspects. 

The  second  object  of  the  admonition  is  apparently  to 
remind  us  that  this  angelic  interpreter  is  himself  a  repre- 
sentation of  all  that  is  revealed  in  the  written  word.  He 
stands  in  the  same  relation  to  the  apostle  that  the  whole 
body  of  Scripture  stands  to  the  Apocalypse :  the  two  are 
fellow  laborers.  There  is  nothing  in  this  unveiling  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  is  not  contained  in  other  portions  of 
the  sacred  writings.  The  angel  had  the  testimony  of 
Jesus,  and  this  testimony  is  the  spirit  (not  merely  the  let- 
ter) of  prophecy.  Even  if  we  confine  this  word  prophecy 
to  the  purport  of  the  Old  Testament  writings,  the  spirit 

*  §  428. 


THE    MARKIAGE.  299 

of  these  writings  will  be  found  to  accord  with  the  spirit- 
sense  of  the  apostolic  writings ;  both  are  alike  the  testimo- 
ny of  Jesus,  comprehending  all  that  is  to  be  miderstood  in 
the  vicarious  work  of  Jesus  Christ. 

There  seems  to  be  here  something  like  a  pause,  equiva- 
lent to  a  change  of  scenes.  The  choral  action  and  the  ad- 
monition of  the  angel  have  all  taken  place  in  heaven ;  we 
are  next  presented  with  a  view  of  transactions  to  be  con- 
sidered as  taking  place  in  a  scene  on  the  earth. 


300  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

CATASTROPHE. 

THE  EIDER  OF  THE  WHITE  HORSE — THE  GREAT  BATTLE — 
VICTORY  OF  THE  CONQUEROR  (tHE  WORD  OF  GOd) — PER- 
DITION OF  THE  BEAST  AND  FALSE  PROPHET IMPRISON- 
MENT   OF     SATAN REWARD      OF    THE    WITNESSES— LAST 

EFFORT  AND  PERDITION  OF  SATAN — THE  JUDGMENT — DOOM 

OF    DEATH  AND    HELL — THE    NEW  HEAVEN  AND  EARTH 

THE  DESCENT  OF  THE  HOLY  CITY — ALL  THINGS  NEW. 

Scene :    The  Earth — a  Battle-field. 

Immediately  after  the  last  chorus  and  the  admonition 
of  the  angel,  the  apostle  sees  heaven  opened  ;*  somethmg 
equivalent  to  a  develoi3ment  of  the  purport  of  written  rev- 
elation beyond  any  thing  hitherto  afforded.  The  apostle 
himself  is  in  heaven ;  he  now  sees,  as  it  may  be  said,  hea- 
ven opened  upon  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth.  As  if  in  a 
citadel,  he  saw  the  gates  opened  and  the  forces  of  the  be- 
sieged issuing  forth  to  join  battle  with  the  enemy ;  sym- 
bohcal  of  a  special  revelation  of  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion about  to  bear  upon  the  earthly  system  and  its  prin- 
ciples. 

"  And  behold  a  white  horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him 
caUed  Faithful  and  True." 

The  narrative  here  (Rev.  19  :  11)  must  be  connected 

*  §  429. 


CATASTEOPHE.  301 

With  the  close  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  sixth  vial,  (Rev. 
16  :  16.)  Three  spirits,  unclean  as  frogs,  had  gone  out  of 
the  mouths  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet, 
as  heralds  to  summon  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the 
whole  world  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God 
Almighty,  and  he  (God  Almighty)  had  gathered  them 
together  in  a  place  called  the  Mount  of  the  Gospel;  the 
Gospel  position  corresponding  with  the  site  of  the  citadel 
we  have  above  imagined,  whence  the  charge  upon  the 
enemies  of  the  truth  is  to  be  made. 

We  are  now  to  imagine  this  field  of  battle  in  sight ;  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse,  with  his  forces,  takes  up  his 
position  on  the  sides  of  the  Mount ;  the  beast,  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  occupy  the  plain  below; 
as-the  sites  of  Babylon  and  the  cities  of  the  plain  were 
opposites  of  the  mountains  round  about  Jerusalem.  On 
the  borders  of  this  plain  we  may  picture  to  ourselves  the 
bottomless  pit  and  the  lake  of  fire. 

This  rider  of  the  white  horse*  can  be  no  other  than  the 
champion  seen  on  the  opening  of  the  first  seal,  (Rev. 
6  :  2,)  going  forth  a  conqueror  and  to  conquer.  He 
has  been  long  expected,  but,  although  not  recognized  by 
the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  he  has  been  operating 
through  different  instrumentalities,  and  even  in  his  own 
person.  As  in  the  harvest  of  the  earth,  where  his  ichite 
horse  wa«  exchanged  for  a  lohite  cloud,  and  his  covenant 
bow  for  a  sharp  sickle.  On  this  occasion  also,  his  bow 
Avithout  arrows  is  laid  aside.  He  holds  no  covenant  with 
error,  a  different  weapon  being  now  about  to  be  em- 
ployed. 

*  §  430. 


'^02  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

He  is  called  Faithful  and  True,  because  faithfulness  and 
truth  are  his  attributes ;  corresponding  with  the  appella- 
tion "^me/i,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,"  and  with 
what  is  said  of  certain  words  and  sayings.  Rev.  21  :  5  and 
22  :  6 ;  with  what  is  said  also  by  the  prophet,  of  the  coun- 
sels of  God,  (Is.  25  :  1,)  and  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  (Is. 
11  :  5.) 

"  In  righteousness,"  (justice,)  it  is  added,  "  he  doth 
judge  and  make  war ;"  the  war  being  that  which  is  the 
subject  of  the  representation — the  contest  between  evan- 
gelical truth  and  doctrinal  error — a  contest  in  which  the 
same  conqueror  was  of  old  called  upon  to  gird  his  sword 
upon  his  thigh^  (Ps.  45  :  3  ;)  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  (the 
element  of  divine  propitiation)  against  errors  opposed  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  such  as  are  symbolized  by  the 
beast  and  prophet,  being  the  cause  of  the  war. 

"  His  eyes*  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,"  as  were  those  of 
the  one  seen  by  the  apostle  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks.  On  his  head  were  many  diadems. 
The  ten  heads  of  the  dragon,  and  the  ten  horns  of  the 
beast,  had  each  their  diadems,  (pretensions  to  sovereignty,) 
but  the  claims  to  sovereignty  of  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse,  are  unlimited.  "  He  had  a  name  written  that  no 
man  knew  but  himself;"  or,  according  to  the  Greek,  on  his 
head  were  many  diadems  having  a  name  written  that  7io 
one  knew  but  himself. 

The  diadem  of  the  ancients  was  a  fillet  or  shawl,  a 
woollen  or  cotton  fabric.  Where  there  were  many  on  one 
head,  they  may  be  supposed  to  have  been  interwoven  after 
the  manner  of  a  Turkish  turban.    According  to  the  Greek 

*  §  431. 


CATASTROPHE.  303 

reading,  the  name  must  have  been  upon  the  turban,  or 
diadem^  on  which  we  may  presume  it  to  have  been  placed 
in  front,  written,  or  rather  engraved,  upon  a  precious  stone, 
or  brilliant,  corresponding  with  the  (white)  precious  stone 
promised  to  the  conqueror,  in  which  a  name  was  to  be  en- 
graved, or  written,  known  to  no  one  except  to  him  who 
received  it,  (Rev.  2:17.)  The  expression  is  unlimited  in 
the  original,  indicating  the  identity  of  the  recipient  of  this 
name  with  the  Deity  himself.  It  would  be  idle  to  surmise 
what  this  name  might  be,  for  if  it  were  known  to  any  one 
but  him  who  received  it,  it  would  not  correspond  with  the 
description  given  of  it.  The  design  appears  to  be  to  fur- 
nish a  key  to  the  designation  of  "  Him  that  overcometh," 
(the  conqueror,)  to  whom  all  the  promises  in  the  several 
epistles  to  the  churches  are  to  be  fulfilled.  K  this  accord 
with  the  facts  of  the  narrative,  we  can  feel  no  hesitation, 
as  elsewhere  suggested,  in  identifying  this  rider  of  the 
white  horse  with  "  Him  that  overcometh." 

He  was  clothed  in  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood,*  like  Him 
alluded  to  by  the  prophet  as  coming  from  Edom  with 
dyed  garments  from  Bozrah,  (Is.  63  :  1-4.)  As  the  breth- 
ren in  heaven  overcome  the  dragon  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  so  the  rider  of  the  white  horse  bears,  in  the  appear- 
ance of  his  vesture,  the  evidence  of  the  atoning  sacrifice 
by  which  his  conquests  have  been  won.f 

His  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God.J   As  he  is  "  call- 

*  §  432. 

t  As  the  handkerchiefs  of  the  early  Christians,  dipped  in  the  blood  of  the 
martyrs,  bore  witness  to  the  faith  and  fidelity  of  these  devoted  victims  of 
persecution. 

X  %  433. 


304  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

ed  Faitkftil  and  True"  because  he  is  faithful  and  true,  so 
he  is  called  the  Wo7'd  of  God  because  he  is  the  Word  of 
God ;  that  is,  he  is  the  personification  of  that  Word.  This 
term  (Logos)  signifies,  it  is  evident,  something  more  than 
a  word  spoken,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term.  The 
Word  which  was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  was  made 
flesh,  (John  1  :  1-3,  14 ;)  impersonated  in  Jesus  Christ, 
who  himself  informs  us  that  the  mind  of  God  was  in  him, 
(John  12  :  50;  14  :  10.)  This  Word  of  God  is  therefore 
the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  the  mind  or  purpose  of  God 
especially  in  reference  to  the  work  of  redemption,  as  de- 
veloped in  the  doctrines,  and  acted  out  in  the  vicarious 
sacrifice  of  Christ  Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God.  Correspond- 
ing with  the  real  union  of  the  wife  and  Lamb,  before 
noticed,  this  word,  or  mind  of  God,  has  been  the  same 
from  all  eternity  ;  the  manifestation  only  being  the  occur- 
rence of  an  epoch.  Here,  this  mi?id  of  God  is  symbolized 
as  revealed  in  its  true  character — the  proper  sense,  not  that 
of  the  letter  only,  but  of  the  spirit  of  the  written  word;  of 
which  the  opening  of  heaven  is  a  figure.  Of  that  word,  or 
purpose,  or  plan,  of  salvation,  the  attribute  of  divine  sove- 
reignty, (indicated  by  the  diadems,)  the  power  of  divine 
imputable  righteousness,  (the  white  horse,)  and  the  ele- 
ment of  divine  atonement,  (the  garment  dipped  in  blood,) 
are  the  distinguishing  features.  Strange  array,  it  may  be 
said,  this  for  a  warrior ;  but  the  contest  is  between  truth 
and  error.  It  is  by  bringing  the  word  of  God  in  its 
strictest  sense,  with  these  distinguishing  features,  side  by 
side  with  erroneous  doctrines,  that  the  victory  in  contem- 
plation is  to  be  won. 

In  keeping  with  the  same  figure,  and  with  the  analogy 


CATASTROPHE.  305 

we  draw  from  it,  the  armies*  of  heaven  following  the 
Word  of  God  "  upon  white  horses,  clothed  with  fine  linen, 
white  and  clean,"  represent  the  elements  of  divine  revela- 
tion as  drawn  fi'om  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  as  charac- 
terized by  exhibiting  the  same  divine  righteousness  ;  both 
as  a  power  of  salvation  overcoming  all  opposing  principles, 
and  as  a  covering,  or  robe,  provided  for  those  who  seek  its 
protection.  As  the  physical  heaven,  with  its  starry  ele- 
ments, declares  the  glory  of  God  in  a  physical  sense,  so  the 
scriptural  heaven,  with  all  its  elements  of  revelation,  de- 
clares or  exhibits  the  glory  of  God  in  a  doctrinal  sense ; 
the  work  of  redemption  being  something  analogous  to  the 
work  of  creation.f  Out  of  the  mouth  of  this  warrior, 
"  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the 
nations,  (Gentiles,)  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod,  or 
sceptre,  of  iron ;  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the 
fierceness  of  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God." 

The  sword  spoken  of  is  the  sword  of  the  mouth.  It  is 
the  language  of  divine  revelation,  of  which  every  word 
may  be  said  to  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  of  God ;  but  the 
sharp  sword  is  not  merely  the  letter  of  revelation.  It  is 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  the  spirit-sense  of  that  letter.  The 
errors  to  be  overcome,  are  to  be  contended  with  by  the 
word  of  revelation  in  its  spuit-sense.  The  same  sword 
was  seen  from  the  mouth  of  the  one  hke  unto  the  Son  of 
Man,  (Rev.  1  :  16,)  and  with  the  same  sword  the  angel  of 
the  church  of  Pergamos  was  to  be  contended  with.  (Rev. 
2  :  16.) 

*  §  434. 

t  "We  must  bear  in  mind  that  this  exhibition  is  subsequent  to  the  applica- 
tion of  the  seventh  test  to  the  air.  It  is  only  through  a  ])urified  medium 
of  construction  that  the  word  of  God  can  be  thus  seen  or  understood. 


306  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

With  the  sharp  sword  of  the  mouthy  the  Word  of  God 
is  to  smite  the  nations,  (GentUe  elements  of  doctrine,  de- 
rived from  the  carnal  or  letter-sense*  of  the  written  word.) 
The  distinction,  before  noticed,  between  the  figurative  na- 
tions, or  Gentiles,  and  the  dwellers  upon  or  inhabiters  of 
the  earth,  is  to  be  observed  here.  The  latter  (elements 
of  self-dependence)  are  to  be  entirely  destroyed,  as  we  see 
in  the  sequel,  by  the  same  sharp  sword,  but  the  Gentile 
elements  are  only  to  be  smitten,  overcome  and  brought 
into  subjection ;  for  if  destroyed  first,  they  could  not  be 
afterwards  ruled  over.f 

The  Greek  term  rendered  rod,  signifies  also  a  sceptre, 
the  figure  being  taken  from  the  staff"  of  a  shepherd.  As 
the  shepherd  rules  his  flock  by  his  eod,  the  king  rules  his 
people  by  his  sceptre,  (the  ensign  of  sovereignty.)  In  this 
connection  a  sceptre  of  iron  would  have  been  a  better 
rendering  than  a  rod  of  iron.  Both  signify  a  despotic 
sway.  The  shepherd  does  not  smite  the  sheep  to  destroy 
them,  but  to  keep  them  in  the  right  way,  or  to  keep  them 
from  going  astray :  so  the  sovereign  uses  his  sceptre  not 
to  destroy  his  people,  but  to  keep  them  in  perfect  sub- 
jection. Thus,  principles  drawn  fi'om  the  letter  of  revela- 
tion, are  to  be  brought  into  complete  subjection  to  the 
revealed  purpose  of  God  by  the  spirit-sense  of  the  written 


*  By  this  term  we  mean  the  application  of  the  symbolical  and  figurative 
language  of  revelation  to  temporal  sul^ects.  The  language  may  be  admitted 
to  be  figurative,  but  as  applied  to  temporal  subjects,  it  is  taken  in  a  carnal 
sense.  The  Jews  admitted  the  language  of  the  prophets  in  relation  to  the 
reign  of  the  Messiah,  to  be  typical  and  figurative,  but  they  understood  it  in 
a  carnal  seme,  applying  it  to  temporal  subjects. 
t  §  435. 


CATASTBOPHE.  307 

word.  Perhaps  we  may  say,  the  spirit-sense  of  revelation 
is  to  be  so  applied  as  to  prevent  the  letter,  or  literal  sense, 
fi'om  going  astray ;  or  from  being  perverted  to  the  main- 
tenance of  self-righteous  or  self-dependent  principles, 
such  as  are  represented  by  the  kings  of  the  earth,  the  allies 
and  auxiliaries  of  the  beast.  Here  the  sword  of  the  con- 
queror and  the  sceptre  of  the  sovereign  are  two  figures  of 
the  same  thing. 

This  function  of  sovereign  rule  we  have  already  noticed 
as  one  of  the  proofs  of  the  identity  of  the  "Word  of  God 
with  "  Him  that  overcometh,"  to  whom  the  promise  of 
this  rule  is  given  in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
inThyatira,  (Rev.  2  :  27.)  The  same  was  predicted  of  the 
branch  from  the  roots  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  (Is.  11 : 4;) 
the  same  is  alluded  to  as  the  function  of  the  Son  of  God, 
(Ps.  2:9;)  and  the  same  is  spoken  of  as  the  destiny  of 
the  man-child  caught  up  to  God  and  his  throne,  (Rev. 
12  :  5.)  That  child  we  may  now  look  upon  as  coming 
forth  from  God  and  his  throne  in  the  person  of  the  rider 
of  the  white  horse,  (the  conqueror,)  from  heaven.  (Rev. 
19  :  11.) 

The  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God*  we  have  had  an 
account  of  as  that  into  which  the  vine  of  the  whole  earth 
was  thrown,  (Rev.  14  :  19.)  We  were  not  then  told  who 
it  was  that  trod  the  press ;  we  now  learn  that  it  is  the 
Word  of  God,  and  who  this  Woed  is,  we  are  informed  by 
one  of  the  prophecies,  in  reference  to  this  same  warrior, 
whose  garments  were  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the  wine- 
fat,  (Is.  63:2;)  the  object  of  the  vengeance  and  fury 
aUuded  to  by  the  prophet,  being  the  same  as  that  spoken 

^  §  43fi. 


308  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

of  here,  against  which  the  "  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Al- 
mighty God"  are  directed.  As  the  vine  of  the  earth,  with 
its  clusters,  comprehends  all  the  errors  peculiar  to  the 
earthly  system  on  the  subject  of  the  atonement  of  Christ, 
these  errors  are  the  objects  of  the  wrath  of  God,  or  of  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  and,  as  such,  are  trodden  down  and 
overcome  by  the  Word  of  God  revealed  in  the  spirit-sense, 
as  symbolically  represented. 

We  may  notice  here  that  although  in  our  common  ver- 
sion the  past  tense  is  several  times  introduced  in  italics  in 
this  description,  the  tense  is  not  so  expressed  in  the  Greek. 
The  idea  seems  to  be  throughout  that  the  matter  here 
alluded  to,  is  something  continually  in  existence  and  con- 
tinually operating.  The  Word  of  God  is  and  will  ever  be 
caUed  "  Faithful  and  True."  His  eyes  are  and  will  ever  be 
"  as  a  flame  of  fire ;"  on  his  head  are  and  will  ever  be 
"  many  diadems.''''  He  is  and  will  ever  appear  in  such  a 
contest  as  this,  "  clad  in  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood  ;"  "  the 
armies  of  heaven"  are  always  in  his  train ;  as  wherever  the 
errors  alluded  to  exist,  he  is  continually  treading  "the 
wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God ;"  and,  whenever  the  sharp 
sword  out  of  his  mouth  is  employed,  the  errors  opposed 
to  God's  plan  of  salvation  must  be  overcome.  (Matt. 
24 :  28.) 

"  He  had  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  the  title  writ- 
ten, King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  loeds,"  a  title*  iden- 
tifying this  Word  of  God  with  the  Lamb,  by  whom 
the  ten  horns  of  the  beast  or  ten  kings  were  overcome. 
At  the  same  time  this  title,  characterizing  both  the  armor 
and  the  weapons  of  the  warrior,  indicates  the  attribute  of 

*  §  437. 


CATASTEOPHE.  309 

divine  sovereignty  as  the  power,  giving  efficiency  to  all 
the  instruments  of  warfare  employed  in  this  contest.  The 
sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  Him  that  sat  on  the  white  horse, 
is  in  fact  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  wielded  by  "the  blessed 
and  only  potentate,  the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of 
lords,"  (1  Tim.  6  :  15,  and  Dan.  2  :  47.)*  Besides  this,  as 
the  vesture  is  here  put  for  the  armor,  and  the  thigh  is  the 
place  for  the  sword,  the  title  appears  to  indicate  the  attri- 
bute of  divine  sovereignty  as  the  provision  both  of  offense 
and  defense.  The  vesture  dipped  in  blood  and  bearing  the 
title,  symbolizing  the  power  of  the  work  of  atonement  sus- 
tained by  this  attribute  of  sovereignty,  corresponds  with 
the  figure  of  the  saving  of  the  man-child,  "  caught  up  to 
God  and  his  throne." 

We  have  already  imagined  the  position  of  the  two  con- 
tending forces,  gathered  together  as  they  were  seen  to  be 
on  the  field  of  battle  designated  as  the  Mount  of  the 
Gospel. 

The  armies  of  the  "Word  of  God  appear  as  the  hosts  of 
Jehovah  did  to  the  opened  eyes  of  the  young  servant  of 
the  prophet,  (2  Kings  6  :  17.)  They  may  correspond  as 
figures  with  the  forces  of  the  kings  from  the  risings  of  the 
sun,  (Rev.  16  :  12.)  In  which  case,  we  may  suppose,  that 
the  battle  to  be  fought  decides  the  fate  of  Babylon ;  for, 
the  succession  of  time  being  out  of  the  question,  it  is  im- 
material whether  the  fall  of  that  city  be  already  related 
or  not.    We  suppose  the  destruction  of  the  beast  and  that 

*  Compare  with  Ps.  45  :  3-6,  13,  where  the  same  contest  and  the  same 
weapon  appear  to  be  contemplated ;  the  king's  daughter  of  the  Psalmist 
corresponding  as  a  figure  with  the  Bride  or  Wife  of  the  Apocalypse,  the  Je- 
rusalem above  of  Gal.  4  :  26. 


310  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

of  his  image  to  be  coincident,  and  the  Euphrates  having 
been  dried  up,  we  may  regard  the  conflagration  of  the  city 
as  a  consequence  of  the  defeat  and  perdition  of  the  adver- 
sary of  the  cross,  whose  forces  occupy  the  plain  in  front 
of  the  city ;  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates,  the  smnmon- 
ing  of  the  kuigs  of  the  earth,  and  the  gathering  together 
of  their  forces  for  the  battle  of  the  great  day,  having  been 
all  related  in  the  same  connection. 

The  angel*  standing  m  the  sun,  (v.  17,)— the  Sun  of 
Righteousness — is  an  opposite  of  the  three  unclean  spirits 
fi'om  the  mouths  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet.  They  went  forth  as  heralds  to  summon  the 
earthly  powers,  uncertain  of  the  result.  The  angel,  on  the 
contrary,  perfectly  acquainted  with  that  result,  summons 
the  birds  of  heaven  to  feast  upon  the  slain — a  feast  de- 
signated as  the  supper  of  the  great  God ;  a  feast  to  be 
contrasted  with  the  merry-making  of  the  dwellers  upon 
the  earth  on  the  occasion  of  the  slaughter  of  the  witnesses 
in  sackcloth,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyi's  of  Jesus, 
with  which  Babylon,  the  harlot,  had  satiated  herself. 

This  angel  "  in  the  sun"  appears  to  be  put  for  a  develop- 
ment of  that  divine  righteousness,  typified  by  the  flesh  of 
Christ,  which,  brought  into  comparison  with  the  pretended 
merits  of  all  earthly  works  of  the  law,  exhibits  their  entire 
nothingness,  and  worse  than  nothingness,  as  a  means  of 
justification,  (Phil.  3  :  8.) 

The  fowls  of  heaven,  or  rather  of  the  mid-heaven,  repre- 
sent apparently  elements  of  the  law  in  its  strictest  sense, 
corresponding  with  the  ten  horns,  by  which  the  flesh  of 
the  harlot  was  consumed.      These  legal  elements  (the 

*  §  433, 


CATASTEOPHE.  311 

sword  of  the  Spiiit  having  performed  its  office)  eat  or 
consume  the  pretensions  to  merit  represented  by  the  flesh 
of  the  kings,  captains  and  others,  described  as  composing 
the  auxiliaries  of  the  beast  and  false  prophet.  These 
auxiharies  must  be  also  the  dwellers  upon  the  earthy  of  every 
rank  and  degree,  described  as  fleeing  to  their  earthly  re- 
fuges in  the  commencement  of  the  exhibition,  (Rev. 
6  :  15-17,)  the  great  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  there 
referred  to,  being  now  come. 

The  particulars  of  the  battle*  are  not  given.  The 
armor  of  the  beast  may  be  supposed  to  be  his  spotted 
skin ;  his  weapons,  his  ten  horns,  (kings  overcome  by  the 
Lamb,)  his  hon's  mouth,  his  bear's  feet,  the  power  receiv- 
ed from  the  dragon,  and  the  influence  of  the  false  prophet, 
all  opposites  of  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word 
of  God.  The  apostle  saw,  in  vision,  the  array  on  both 
sides.  The  result  is  spoken  of  as  a  matter  of  course.  The 
beast  and  false  prophet  are  taken  alive,  as  in  a  snare  ;\ 
(Gr.)  "snared  in  the  works  of  their  own  hands,"  (Ps.  9 ;  16 ; 
Is.  24  :  18 ;)  corresponding  with  the  manner  in  which  a 
false  doctrinal  system  of  salvation  by  the  works  or  merits 
of  man,  claiming  to  rest  upon  the  written  word,  (especial- 
ly the  law,)  may  be  shown  to  be  inconsistent  with  that 
word  itself,  in  its  spirit-sense. 

The  beast  and  false  prophet  are  not  taken  alive  to  be 
spared,  they  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone ; 
a  fate  afterwards  spoken  of  as  that  of  the  second  death, 
that  from  which  the  conqueror  was  to  be  exempt,  (Rev. 
2:11,)  but  to  which  Satan,  and  death,  and  heU,  are  finally 
exposed. 

*  §  439.  t  §  440.  *■ 


312  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

"  The  remnant,"*  tliat  is,  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
their  armies,  are  said  to  be  slain  with  the  sword  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse,  and  the  fowls  were 
filled  with  their  fleshes.  The  difference  between  the  fate 
of  these  auxiliaries  and  their  leaders,  seems  to  be  that  the 
first  suffer,  so  far,  only  the  first  death,  being  apparently 
destined  to  undergo  the  judgment  afterwards  described  ; 
whereas,  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are  immediately 
doomed  to  the  second  death,  without  having  experienced 
2i.  first  death. 

As  slain  by  the  sword,  these  principles  of  the  earthly 
system  are  shown  to  be  dead — devoid  of  the  spirit.  They 
are  principles  of  doctrine  not  compatible  with  the  spirit- 
sense  of  divine  revelation ;  and  the  pretended  merits  they 
tend  to  establish,  (as  fleshesf  devoured  by  carnivorous 
birds,)  are  manifested  to  be  mere  pretensions,  incapable 
of  meeting  the  requisitions  of  the  law.  Still  their  bones 
are  left  upon  the  plaia,  like  the  dead  iu  the  vision  of  the 
prophet,  (Ezek.  37  :  1 ;)  they  are  not  annihilated,  nor  have 
they  reached  their  end — there  is  a  further  trial  to  which 
they  are  to  be  exposed,  and  of  which  they  are  to  experi- 
ence the  result. 

The  beast  and  the  false  prophet,!  ^^  the  contrary,  sym- 
bolize errors,  or  causes  of  error,  too  egregious  to  need  fur- 
ther trial — error  in  spirit  as  well  as  in  the  letter.  As  such 
they  are  exposed  at  once  to  the  everlasting  torture^  or  trial, 
of  the  "second  death:"  a  perpetual  trial,  as  akeady  de- 

*  §  441. 

t  The  Greek  term  in  the  plural  appears  indicative  of  the  variety  and 
multitude  of  pretensions  to  merit  spoken  oioB  fleshes. 
%%  442. 


CATASTROPHE.  313 

fined,  by  the  Word  of  God  in  its  strictly  spirit  sense  ;  that 
word  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures  as  a  fire,  (Jer.  23  :  29 ;) 
and  as  the  fire  which  is  to  try  every  work,  (1  Cor.  3  :  13  ;) 
the  perpetuity  of  this  trial  being  indicated  by  the  ingredi- 
ent of  sulphur — a  figure  drawn  from  volcanic  fires,  which 
were  supposed  to  owe  thek  perjDetuity  to  this  material. 

*Tm mediately!  after  this  triumph  of  the  Word  of  God, 
and  apparently  as  a  consequence  of  the  victory,  (Rev. 
21  :  1,)  an  angel  comes  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key 
of  the  bottomless  pit.  This  pit  was  unlocked  on  the 
sounding  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  (Rev.  9:1;)  the  key  and 
the  action  of  the  angel  on  that,  as  on  the  present  occasion, 
symbolizing  a  development  of  truth  from  the  written 
word,  showing  the  character  of  the  pit-system,  or  mystery, 
by  the  exhibition  of  its  elements.  These  elements  were 
then  seen  to  be  those  of  the  law,  which  under  the  lead  of 
the  destroyer  (ApoUyon)  tried,  or  rather  tortured^  the  prin- 
ciples of  self-dependence,  spoken  of  as  men  of  the  earth. 

Apollyon  we  take  to  be  a  personification  of  Satan,  who, 
as  chief  of  the  locusts,  operated  with  his  legal  scorpions, 
as  he  afterwards  is  represented  to  operate  in  the  person 
of  the  beast  with  his  legal  horns ;  two  figures  representing 
nearly  the  same  thing,  the  adversary  of  man  being  also 
the  adversary  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace. 
By  the  opening  of  the  bottomless  pit  system,  Satan  was 
seen  to  be  let  loose  upon  the  earthly,  to  which  he  had 
been  driven ;  his  proper  place  even  here,  however,  was 
from  the  beginning  the  pit^  to  which  he  is  now  sent  back. 

*  The  separation  of  chapters  here,  in  our  common  version,  is  unfortunate, 
as  the  course  of  the  narrative  itself  is  uninterrupted, 
t  §  443. 

14 


314  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

Meantiine  the  pit  has  been,  figuratively  speaking,  open 
during  the  whole  reign  of  the  beast,  the  birth  of  the 
man-child  and  the  ejection  of  the  great  dragon  from  the 
divine  counsels  being  knoT\Ti  only  in  heaven. 

Thus,  though  operating  in  the  earthly  system  under 
these  several  characters,  the  power  of  Satan  is  in  fact  con- 
fined to  the  bottomless  pit  system  ;  a  mystery  now  about 
being  developed.  As  the  ruling  element  -of  that  system, 
Satan  overcame  the  two  witnesses,  but  it  was  because 
they  were  in  sackcloth.  Under  the  figure  of  ApoUyon, 
Satan  employed  the  whole  force  of  the  locust  host  in 
darkening  the  Sun  of  Righteousness — excluding  from  view 
the  remedy  for  the  disease  of  sin.  Under  cover  of  the 
ten-horned  beast,  with  the  aid  of  the  false  prophet,  or  false 
interpretation,  and  of  Babylon,  the  image  of  the  beast,  he 
perverts  the  elements  of  the  earthly  system,  to  establish 
the  reign  of  the  beast,  which  is  in  reaUty  his  own.  Final- 
ly we  find  him  as  the  dragon,  or  great  serpent,  and  as  one 
of  the  triple  alliance  sendmg  forth  his  emissaries  to  sum- 
mon the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  world,  to  the 
battle  of  the  great  day  ;  a  battle  which  proves  to  be  the 
final  contest  between  the  Word  of  God  and  the  adversary 
of  the  cross  of  Christ ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  be- 
tween the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  and  the  pre- 
tended champion  of  the  law — ^the  legal  accuser  himself 

The  other  members  of  the  alliance  having  been  dealt 
Avith,  the  doom  of  Satan  now  remains  to  be  exhibited. 
The  angel  having  the  key,  lays  hold,  it  is  said,  of  the 
dragon,*  the  old  serpent,  and  Satan,  binds  him  with  a 


§  444. 


CATASTROPHE.  315 

great  chain^  for  a  thousand  years,f  casting  him  into  the 
bottomless  pit,  where  he  is  locked  up  and  a  seal  set  upon 
him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no  more  till  the 
term  of  his  imprisonment  is  fulfilled. 

The  use  of  the  key,  in  the  first  instance,  was  to  unlock 
the  pit  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  tendency  of  its  ele- 
ments, and  the  power  of  their  chief.  The  use  of  the  key, 
in  the  second  instance,  is  to  lock  the  pit,  showing  by  the 
chain  (of  principles)  that  the  mystery  of  error,  (the  adver- 
sary of  the  cross,)  the  false  prophet,  and  the  image  of  the 
beast,  being  overcome,  it  is  only  in  the  bottomless  pit  that 
Satan  can  have  or  can  exercise  his  power;  equivalent  to 
showing  that  a  system,  or  plan,  of  salvation,  which  has 
not  Christ  for  its  foundation,  (there  being  no  other  founda- 
tion,) can  afford  no  resource  from  the  power  of  the  brok- 
en law,  or  fi'om  the  legal  spirit  of  accusation  enforcing  the 
penalty  of  the  law. 

Satan,  it  is  said,  is  locked  up  in  the  pit  to  prevent  him 
from  deceiving  or  deluding  the  nations,!  (Gentiles.)  The 
inhabiters  of  the  earth  are  not  here,  or  subsequently, 
spoken  of  as  such,  having  been  aU  slain,  of  every  rank  and 
degree,  from  the  king  to  the  slave,  by  the  oral  sword  of 
Him  that  sat  on  the  horse.  Satan,  of  course,  can  no  more 
make  use  of  them,  but  there  yet  remains  the  other  class, 
capable  of  being  influenced  or  perverted,  by  him — princi- 
ples derived  from  the  literal  or  carnal  construction  of 
revelation,  and  as  such  termed  Gentiles.  It  is  only  by 
showing  that  Satan,  or  the  principle  of  legal  accusation, 

*  A  logical  chain— a  concatenation  of  certain  truths  of  divine  revelation , 
showinoj  the  proper  place  of  the  element  of  legal  accusation.    See  Addenda, 
t  §  445.  t  §  ^6. 


316  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

belongs  to  the  pit  system,  that  these  elements  of  the  letter 
can  be  preserved  from  becoming,  like  the  beast,  adversaries 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  For  this  reason,  it  is  manifested 
that  this  old  serpent  is  bound  in  the  bottomless  pit  for  a 
thousand  years. 

Assuming  the  asseveration  of  the  mighty  angel,  (Rev. 
10:6,)  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer,  to  be  applica- 
ble here,  as  elsewhere,  we  consider  the  term,  a  thousand 
years,  with  its  subsequent  use,  a  figure  of  parallelism,  or 
coincidence,  as  in  the  case  of  the  twelve  hundred  and  sixty 
days,  or  forty-two  months.  The  term  is  repeated,  in  this 
connection,  six  times,  which  would  appear  unnecessary,  but 
for  the  purpose  of  the  parallelism  supposed.  So  long  as 
Satan  is  confined  to  the  bottomless  pit,  the  witnesses  for 
the  truth  rule,  or  reign,  as  judges — living  and  reigning 
with  Christ;*  and  the  6^ew^^7e  elements  of  hteral  construc- 
tion are  not  perverted  by  that  of  legal  accusation ;  and, 
so  long  as  this  is  the  case,  the  erroneous  principles,  repre- 
sented as  slain  by  the  sword  of  the  Word,  wiU  remain 
manifested  as  dead — not  having  the  spirit.  On  the  other 
hand,  whenever  and  wherever  the  element  of  legal  accusa- 
tion (Satan)  does  not  appear  confined  to  the  bottomless  pit 
system,  then  and  there  these  doctrinal  errors  will  be  resus- 
citated. 

It  will  be  perceived  by  the  representation  here  (v.  4-7) 
that  what  is  termed  the^rs^  resurrection,  is  Jlrst  in  kind,  not 
in  order  of  succession,  for  it  is  not  succeeded  by  a  second 
resurrection,  nor  is  any  mention  made  of  a  second  resur- 
rection. There  are  two  classes  of  subjects  contemplated 
in  the  passage — the  faithful  witnesses,  who  suffer  one 

^  §  450. 


CATASTKOPHE.  317 

death  and  enjoy  one  resurrection ;  and  the  enemies  of  the 
truth,  who  undergo  one  resurrection  and  suffer  two  deaths, 
the  first  and  second.  The  first  death  is  that  in  which  the 
elements  of  doctrine  symbolized  are  either  wrongfully  or 
rightfully  made  to  appear  destitute  of  the  spirit,  (its  life  or 
blood,) — slahi,  slaughtered,  or  killed.  The  second  death 
is  that  in  which  the  doctrinal  priuciples  symbolized  are 
adjudged  to  be  entirely  inconsistent  with,  and  to  form 
no  part  of,  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  (the  book  of  life,) 
and,  as  such,  are  doomed  to  the  everlasting  test  or  trial  of 
the  word  of  God,  symbolized  as  a  lake  of  fire. 

The  souls  imder  the  altar*  were  wrongfully  deprived  of 
their  life,  or  spiiit-sense,  by  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth; 
but  this  Ufe  is  restored  to  them  as  a  consequence  of  the 
triumph  of  the  Word  of  God,  by  the  sword  of  his  mouthy 
and  in  consequence,  perhaps  it  may  be  added,  of  the  confine- 
ment of  Satan  to  the  pit,  by  which  in  their  turn  they  be- 
come judges.  This  is  to  them  accordingly  their  first,  as  it 
is  their  only,  resurrection,  for  they  suffer  no  second 
death.f 

Those  slain  by  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  are  rightfully 
manifested  to  be  without  the  spirit,  being  principles  rest- 
ing upon  the  earthly  platform  of  dead  works,  which  mani- 
festation is  their  first  death.  From  this  death  they  are 
raised  to  judgment.  This  is  to  them  a  first  and  only  re- 
surrection, but  not  that  Mnd  of  first  resurrection,  which  is 

*  §§  448,  449. 

t  We  do  not  mean  to  apply  these  remarks  to  wTiat  ia  said  of  a  judgment 
to  come  in  other  portions  of  the  sacred  writings.  We  confine  our  views  of 
what  is  said  of  death  and  resurrection  here  altogether  to  the  purport  of  this 
unquestionably  figurative  vision. 


318  THE    SEALED    BOOK. 

termed  "blessed  and  holy."  Thus  raised,  and  judged,  and 
found  not  to  correspond  with  the  contents  of  the  book  of 
life,  or  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  hfe,  they  are  adjudged  to  the 
second  death.  According  to  the  promise  to  the  conqueror 
in  the  epistle  to  the  angel  of  the  Smyrnean  church,  the 
action  of  the  second  death  is  to  unjustify  ("  hurt")  the 
subject  exposed  to  it,  (Rev.  2:11;)  the  same  term  as 
that  denoting  the  effect  of  withholding  the  winds  of  the 
earth,  (Rev.  7  :  2, 3.)  This  last  trial  by  fii-e  shows  the  entire 
want  of  any  element  of  justification,  in  the  doctrines  or 
principles  submitted  to  the  test  of  a  comparison  with  the 
word  of  God  in  its  proper  sense. 

The  several  appellations  given  to  Satan,  (v.  2,)  indicate 
the  nature  of  the  deception  he  practises.  As  the  dragon, 
we  are  reminded  of  his  disposition  to  devour  the  man- 
child,  (the  element  of  propitiation,)  and  of  his  effort  by  a 
flood  to  carry  away  or  destroy  the  woman,  (the  symbol 
of  God's  plan  of  redemption.)  As  the  old  serpent,  we  see 
m  him  the  tempter  of  the  woman  in  paradise,  bringing  the 
law  mto  operation  by  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  By 
the  appellation  of  the  devil,  he  is  designated  as  the  accuser 
or  prosecutor  acting  under  the  broken  law ;  and  as  Satan 
he  is  the  adversary  of  men,  (perverting  the  straight  ways 
of  the  Lord  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  away  disciples  from 
the  faith  in  Christ,  Acts  13  :  10,)  not  openly,  but  as  preach 
ing  another  gospel  than  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  (Gal.  1  :  6-9.) 

The  Greek  word  translated  thrones'^  in  this  connection, 
(Rev.  20:4,)  is  applicable  to  any  kind  of  seats.  The  kind 
contemplated  must  therefore  be  judged  of  fi'om  the  con- 
text, or  occasion  upon  which  the  term  is  employed.    Here, 

♦  §447. 


CATASTROPHE.  319 

they  evidently  signify  tribunals  of  judgment ;  the  souls 
occupying  these  tribunals  as  judges  being  elements  of  gos- 
pel truth,  free  from  any  taint  of  the  error  represented  by 
the  beast  or  his  image,  (Babylon,)  and  free  from  any 
feature  of  false  doctrine  or  mercenary  principle,  character- 
ized as  the  heast-marJc  of  hostility  to  the  cross  of  Christ. 
These  pure  gospel  elements  are  here  represented  as  crite- 
ria, acting  as  judges,  (standards  of  comparison,)  by  which 
the  character  of  aU  doctrines  is  to  be  tried.  The  figure 
corresponds  with  the  promise  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples  that 
they  should  sit  on  twelve  thrones,  (seats,)  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel;  a  promise  virtually  fulfilled  in  the 
action  of  the  New  Testament  upon  the  Old.* 

The  souls  to  whom  judgment  is  given,  are  the  blessed 
and  holy,  who  have  part  in  the  first  resurrection,  and  on 
whom  the  second  death  has  no  power.  They  are  priests 
of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  reign  with  him  in  the  same 
sense  as  they  are  judges.  As  priests  they  are  principles 
of  doctrine  essential  to  the  right  worship  of  God,  "  in  spirit 
and  in  truth ;"  and  as  ruling  elements  they  cooperate  in 
exhibiting  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty  in  the  work 
of  salvation  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ.  They 
are  priests  and  kings  in  the  sense  in  which  the  four  living 
creatures  and  twenty-fom'  elders  speak  of  themselves  as 
such,  (Rev.  5  :  10,)  opposites  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
of  the  false  prophet. 

So  long  as  these  elements  of  doctrine  rule,  Satan  is  con- 
fined as  by  a  great  chain  to  the  pit ;  whenever  and  wher- 

*  Matt.  19  :  28;  Luke  22  :  30.  That  is,  in  the  new  creation,  (regeneration,) 
where  all  things  are  made  new,  (Rev.  21  :  5,)  compare  with  Ps.  122  i  5. 


320  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

ever*  tliis  is  not  the  case,  then  and  there  Satan  is  let  loose, 
(Rev.  20  :  7,)  operating  (as  already  suggested)  in  per- 
verting principles,  drawn  from  the  letter  or  carnal  inter- 
pretation of  the  written  word.  The  principles  of  self-de- 
pendence, derived  from  the  earth,  or  earthly  system  of 
works,  have  been  destroyed,  as  we  have  seen ;  but  the 
earth  itself  still  remains.  These  elements  of  carnal  con- 
struction are  accordingly  drawn  together  from  all  quarters 
of  the  earthly  platform,  (Gog  and  Magog.)  The  figure  is 
apparently  taken  from  the  supposed  incursion  of  tribes 
of  barbarians,  but  without  reference  to  any  particular 
event  in  the  history  of  the  world.  A  new  host  takes  place 
of  the  dwellers  upon  the  earthy  standing  in  the  relation  of 
Gentile  errors  to  Jemsh  errors:  their  "number  as  the 
sand  of  the  sea."  (See  Appendix  C.) 

We  must  judge  of  the  nature  of  these  errors  by  the 
object  against  which  their  hostility  is  directed.f  Under 
the  conduct  of  Satan  "  they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the 
earth  and  compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints  and  the  be- 
loved city."  Satan  may  be  supposed  to  act  here  without 
his  horns,  having  given  them  to  the  beast,  and  the  beast 
having  gone  into  perdition ;  the  power  of  the  horns  also 
as  kings  having  been  overcome  by  the  Lamb.  The  plat- 
form of  works,  the  earthly  basis,  still  remains,  and  these 
Gentile  elements,  acting  on  this  basis,  may  be  supposed  to 
represent  all  the  plans,  or  "  many  inventions,"  the  ingenuity 
or  vain  imagination  of  man  can  devise  as  substitutes  for 
God's  purpose  of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace,  or  of  jus- 
tification through  the  merits  of  Christ.  The  divine  pur- 
pose of  grace,  accordingly,  is  spoken  of  as  "  the  beloved 

*  §  451.  t  §  452. 


CATASTEOPHE.  321 

city,"  or  "  camp  of  the  saints,"  wMcli  these  Gentiles,  under 
the  conduct  of  Satan,  are  now  about  to  besiege,  (v.  9.) 

The  object  of  hostility  is  not  religion  ui  general,  or  even 
the  Christian  religion  in  general;  as  the  errors  contem- 
plated throughout  this  vision  are  not  those  out  of  the 
visible  Church,  but  those  in  the  Church.  It  is  the  pecuhar 
feature  of  the  Christian  rehgion,  comprehended  in  what  is 
commonly  called  the  covenant  of  grace^  agaiast  which 
these  Satanic  and  Gentile  elements  are  arrayed. 

The  camp  of  the  saints  and  the  beloved  city*  are  nearly 
interchangeable  terms,  or  differing  only  as  the  outworks 
of  a  fortified  place  are  to  the  citadel — two  figures  of  the 
same  thing,  each  affording  its  peculiar  illustration.  The 
camp  of  the  saints,  as  a  figure,  directs  our  attention  to  the 
elements  or  principles  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  (the 
holy  ones.)t  The  beloved  city  sets  forth  the  aspect  in 
which  that  plan  is  regarded  by  the  Maker  of  it  himself. 
It  is  called  beloved^  because  the  economy  of  salvation  by 
grace  is  the  beloved  plan  of  Him  with  whom  judicial  ven- 
geance is  a  strange  work.  It  is  called  beloved  in  fulfill- 
ment of  the  promise  referring  to  the  same  plan,  "  Thou 
shalt  be  called  Sephzibah^  (my  delight,)  for  Jehovah  de- 
Hghteth  in  thee."  (Is.  62  :  4.)  Under  a  like  aspect,  ap- 
parently, the  name  of  the  apostle  John,  signifying  the  grace 
of  God,  affords  us  a  symbolical  reason  for  his  distinction  as 
the  beloved  disciple.  As  the  camp  of  the  Israelites  in  the 
wilderness  corresponded  with  the  old  city  of  Jerusalem 

*  §  453. 

t  These  saints  may  be  supposed  to  be  the  souls  under  the  altar,  judges 
in  the  first  resurrection,  while  Satan  is  confined.    When  he  is  loosed,  the 
holy  ones  are  put  on  the  defensive,  and  are  thus  represented  as  in  camp. 
14* 


322  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

after  it  was  built,  (two  figures  of  the  same  old  dispensa- 
tion,) so  the  camp  of  the  saints  and  the  beloved  city  of 
the  Apocalypse  are  both  figures  of  the  new  dispensation. 

The  power  of  the  beast  having  been  brought  to  an  end 
by  the  victory  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  forty-two  months 
of  his  continuance  has  of  course  expired ;  and  conse- 
quently, according  to  the  use  we  make  of  that  symbolical 
term  of  time,  in  the  present  stage  of  the  rej^resentation, 
the  Gentiles  do  not  now  tread  the  holy  city  underfoot^  and 
not  having  possession  of  the  city,  we  may  presume  they 
no  longer  have  possession  of  the  court  of  the  temple,  (Rev. 
11  :  2-10.)  For  the  same  reason,  the  two  witnesses  no 
longer  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  nor  do  the  dwellers  on  the 
earth  rejoice  over  their  dead  bodies,  but  the  same  Gentile 
elements  once  in  possession  of  the  holy  (the  beloved)  city, 
have  now,  under  the  conduct  of  Satan,  compassed  it,  mth 
the  purpose,  we  might  say,  of  obtaining  a  repossession, 
carrying  it  by  assault.  In  this  purpose  they  are  defeated. 
Flre^  comes  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  and  devours 
them,  as  the  ten  horns  devoured  the  flesh  of  the  harlot 
and  burnt  her  with^re — fire  from  heaven  being  a  figure 
of  the  revealed  word  of  God.  These  Gentile  elements, 
principles  of  doctrine  derived  from  literal  and  carnal 
views  of  the  written  word,  are  perverted  by  the  devil  to 
elements  of  accusation,  directed  against  God's  plan  of  sal- 
vation. As  there  were  false  accusers  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  apparently  charging  the  faith  in  Chi'ist  with  its 
tendency  to  hcentiousness,  (1  Peter  3  :  16,)  and  as  Satan 
accused  the  brethren  in  heaven,  who  overcame  him  by  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  so,  in  this  attack  upon  the  beloved 


454. 


CATASTROPHE.  323 

city,  (the  divine  plan  of  grace^)  the  accuser  and  his  forces 
are  overcome  by  a  full  revelation  of  that  vicarious  arrange- 
ment, by  which  Jesus  Christ  "  destroyed  him  that  had  the 
power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil,"  (Heb.  2  :  14 ;)  the 
destruction  alluded  to  corresponding  apparently  with  that 
described  in  the  vision. 

The  devH,  which  deluded  these  Gentiles,  was  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire  to  be  tormented  (tortured)  day  and  night, 
for  ever  and  ever.  The  Gentile  elements  now  destroyed 
hj  fire^  appear  to  have  come  to  their  final  end  ;*  but  the 
leading  element  of  accusation  is  continued  in  existence, 
always  to  be  under  the  trial  compared  to  the  torture  of 
the  rack,  exposing  his  true  character  and  designs — an  ex- 
posure sufiicient  to  counteract  his  delusive  practices. 

As  the  fire  from  God  out  of  heaven  represents  an  ex- 
ternal power  by  which  the  camp  of  the  samts  and  beloved 
city  are  delivered  from  the  power  of  Satan,  we  may  pre- 
sume the  truth  developed  effecting  this  deliverence,  to  be 
the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty ;  the  element  from 
which  the  beloved  plan  itself  proceeded.  So,  in  the 
case  of  the  man-child,  when  (as  if  in  a  last  resort)  caught 
up  to  God  and  his  throne,  he  was  saved  fi'om  the  dragon's 
mouth;  here  (as  in  the  last  resort)  the  city  is  saved  by 
an  equivalent  operation.  As  if  it  were  said  in  answer  to  all 
objections  to  God's  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  that  he  is 
a  sovereign,  and  as  such  he  has  a  sovereign  right  to  do  as 
he  will  with  his  own,  having  the  same  right  over  his 
creatures,  that  the  potter  has  over  his  clay,  (Rom. 
9  :  20,  21.) 

*  "  As  the  tongue  of  fire  devoureth,  and  the  stubble  and  the  flame  con- 
eumeth  the  chaff."    (Is.  5  :  24.) 


324  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

This  supposition  seems  to  be  confinned  by  what  follows ; 
for  siamltaneously  with  the  overthrow  and  perdition  of 
Satan  and  his  Gentile  host,  the  apostle  sees  "  a  great 
white  throne,*  and  Him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away,  and  there  was  no  place  for 
them."  As  we  have  before  remarked,  the  Greek  tei*m 
translated  throne^  applies  to  a  seat  of  any  kind,  and  its 
meaning  must  be  judged  by  the  context.  Here  the  flee- 
ing away  of  earth  and  heaven  from  the  face  of  Him 
that  sat  on  the  throne^  is  suffitdent  to  show  that  the 
exhibition  is  that  of  divine  sovereignty;  as  it  is  by  this 
attribute  of  sovereignty  that  the  Supreme  Ruler  has  the 
right  to  abolish  the  old  dispensation,  (that  of  the  law,) 
in  order  to  give  place  to  the  new  economy,  (the  dispensa- 
tion of  grace.) 

We  have  noticed  that,  although  the  dwellers  upon  the 
earth  were  overcome  and  slain  in  the  great  battle  with  the 
beast,  the  earth,  or  platform  of  works,  still  remained,  and 
accordingly  Satan  and  his  host  of  Gentiles  went  up  "  upon 
the  breadth"  of  it,  against  the  camp  and  beloved  city. 
They  were  destroyed  by  a  development  of  the  attribute 
of  divine  sovereignty,  (figuratively  j^re  from  God  out  of 
heaven.)  By  the  same  development,  in  connection  with  an 
exhibition  of  the  enthroned  Word  of  God,  this  platform  of 
works  is  now  abolished  for  ever.f  As  if  we  should  say 
that  where,  or  when,  God's  purpose  of  salvation,  or  justifi- 
cation by  grace,  is  manifested  to  rest  upon  the  attribute 
of  his  perfect  sovereignty,  there,  or  then,  there  will  be  no 
room,  or  place,  for  the  supposition  of  a  system  of  justifica- 

*  §  455.  +  §  456. 


CATASTROPHE.  325 

tion,  or  salvation,  by  the  works  or  merits  of  man,  or  by 
works  of  the  law. 

The  distinguishing  characteristic,  of  shining  while^ 
given  to  the  throne,  indicates  the  presence  of  the  rider  of 
the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,)  the  conqueror  of  the 
beast  and  his  allies :  he  is  now  elevated  to  the  throne,  as  a 
result  of  his  victories  ;  in  other  words,  he  is,  as  afterwards 
manifested,  the  sovereign  God  himself,*  as  there  is,  in 
fact,  no  distinction  of  heing^  between  the  Word  of  God 
and  God,  any  more  than  there  is  between  the  "  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords,^^  and  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the 
universe. 

It  is  evident  that  the  heaven  spoken  of  ?k%  fleeing  away 
with  the  earth,  is  not  the  heaven  to  which  the  apostle  was 
called  up ;  he  is  still  in  that  position  where  he  sees  the 
great  white  throne ;  but  the  heaven  fleeing  away  is  the 
earthly  heaven,  "  the  heavens  which  are  now,"  (2  Peter 
3  :  Y.)  As  we  have  noticed,  in  speaking  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  commonly  so  called,  the  earth  was  regarded  by 
the  ancients  as  the  centre  of  that  system  which  we  now 
term  the  solar  system — whence  that  earthly  system  had 
its  heaven,  in  allusion  to  which  the  view  of  divine  revela- 
tion, peculiar  to  a  system  of  works,  is  symbolically  repre- 
sented as  fleeing  away^  together  with  the  platform  of 
works  with  which  it  is  connected.  There  is  no  place  for 
either  of  them,  where  the  word  of  God  is  exhibited,  rest- 
ing upon  the  attribute  of  his  perfect  sovereignty,  (Rom. 
11  :  6.)     It  is  in  the  same   sovereign  capacity  that  the 

*  The  element  of  divine  sovereignty  could  not  be  displayed  till  the  oppos- 
ing elements  of  that  divine  sovereignty,  the  beast,  the  false  prophet,  and 
Satan,  were  overcome. 


326  TILE   SEALED   BOOK. 

Word  of  God  is  now  represented  as  exercising  the  pre- 
rogative of  judge,  and  not  only  as  judge,  but  also  as  exe- 
cutor of  his  own  judgment,  (Heb.  4  :  12.)  Judgment  was 
before  said  to  have  been  given  to  the  souls  of  them  that 
were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus ;  but  these  may  be 
considered  only  inferior  com-ts,  having  but  a  limited  pow- 
er, whereas  the  throne,  as  in  ancient  times,  is  to  be  con- 
sidered a  court  of  last  resort ;  as  Paul  appealed  from  the 
court  of  the  Roman  governor  to  the  judgment  of  Caesar. 

I  saw,  says  John,  the  dead,*  small  and  great,  stand  be- 
fore the  throne\ — the  throne  representing  the  attribute 
of  divine  sovereignty ;  he  that  sat  on  the  throne  being 
the  Word  of  God,  that  is,  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation 
impersonated  in  Christ,  as  revealed  in  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures. By  tliis  word,  or  purpose,  involving  and  resting 
on  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  all  elements  or 
principles  of  faith  or  doctrine  are  to  be  judged;  and  these 
principles  we  suppose  to  be  the  dead  alluded  to,  personi- 
fied as  seen  standing  before  the  great  white  throne. 

The  phrase  "  small  and  great,"  du-ects  our  attention  to 
the  enumeration  of  the  hostile  multitude,  "small  and 
great,"  (the  remnant,)  slain  by  the  sword  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse.  By  that  death 
these  principles  were  manifested  to  be  destitute  of  the 
spirit  of  the  word,  the  analogy  being  drawn  from  the  sep- 
aration of  body  and  sj^irit  by  natural  death.  They  are 
now  to  be  judged  by  a  further  standard.    As  the  multi- 

*  §  457. 

+  Our  common  version  has  this  "  before  God,"  but  approved  editions  of 
the  Greek,  warrant  our  use  of  the  word  ihrone,  which  at  the  same  time  ap- 
pears most  in  keepinor  with  the  whole  tenor  of  the  vision. 


CATASTROPHE.  327 

tude,  "  small  and  great,"  they  comprehend  the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth,  of  all  classes,  from  the  king  to  the  slave — 
those  that  were  described  in  the  panic  scene  as  seeking  a 
refuge  from  the  wi'ath  of  the  Lamb.  They  comprehend 
also  the  worshippers  of  the  beast — those  that  received  his 
mark,  and  those  that  "  gnawed  their  tongues  with  pain" 
when  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness. 

We  do  not  include  the  Gentile  host,  (Gog  and  Magog,) 
because  they  are  said  to  have  been  devoured  by  fire  from 
heaven,  which  seems  to  be  a  figure  equivalent  to  that  of 
the  second  death  y  besides  that  these  are  only  mentioned 
as  nations  of  the  earth,  without  the  appellation  of  small 
and  great. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  last  we  read  of  the  144,000  seal- 
ed ones,  is  that  they  were  on  Mount  Zion  singmg  the  song 
of  the  redeemed  ;  and  we  suppose  those  enjoying  ihe  first 
resurrection  to  comprehend  all  before  spoken  of  as 
saints  or  holy  ones,  including  "saints  under  the  altar," 
and  "  saints  and  prophets"  whose  blood  was  found  in  the 
ruins  of  Babylon.  As  these  were  not  subject  to  the  sec- 
ond death,  we  do  not  suppose  them  to  appear  in  this  judg- 
ment scene. 

Taking  these  particulars  into  view,  as  there  is  but  one 
class  of  dead  mentioned  here,*  we  suppose  these  dead  to 
be  all  representatives  of  that  class  of  false  doctrines,  or 
principles  of  doctrine,  which  are  inconsistent  with  God's 
plan  of  redemption;  such,  perhaps,  as  are  spoken  of  by  the 
apostle  Paul  as  "  dead  works,"  (Heb.  6  ;  1 ;  9  :  14.) 

*  On  this  account  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  scene  described  here  dif- 
fers essentially  from  those  elsewhere  given  in  the  New  Testament  of  the 
last  judgment. 


328  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

"And  (Gr.)  books*  were  opened,  and  another  book 
was  opened,  which  is  of  the  life,"  (the  Hfe  of  the  Lamb  un- 
derstood.) In  the  original,  there  is  no  article  preceding 
the  word  books  when  first  mentioned ;  as  if  the  reference 
were  to  some  particular  books.  "  The  book  of  the  life," 
or,  as  it  is  elsewhere  termed,  "  the  Lamb's  book  of  life," 
or,  according  to  the  Greek,  "  the  book  of  the  life  of  the 
Lamb,"  as  already  suggested,  we  take  to  be  one  of  the 
figures  by  which  the  plan  of  redemption,  through  the  vica- 
rious sacrifice  of  Christ,  is  symbolized.  Opposite  to  this, 
are  all  the  books,  or  plans,  of  human  device,  or  of  vain  im- 
aginations, pretending  to  set  forth  a  way  of  salvation,  or 
justification,  through  the  works  or  merits  of  man.  These 
books,  accordingly,  are  opposites  of  the  book  of  life,  or  of 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  which  is  here  spoken  of  as  the 
standard  of  judgment. 

The  Lamb's  book  of  hfe  we  suppose  to  have  a  particular 
reference  to  his  vicarious  sacrifice,  as  the  indispensable 
element  of  the  way  of  salvation.  The  dead  to  be  judged, 
we  take  to  be  principles  of  doctrine,  or  the  doctrines 
themselves,  contained  in  the  books  alluded  to.  These  are 
brought  into  comparison  with  the  contents  of  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life,  and  being  found  inconsistent  therewith,  (the 
Word  of  God,  exercising  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereign- 
ty, being  the  judge,)  they  are  condemned  to  the  everlast- 
ing trial  of  the  revealed  word,  in  its  spirit  sense^  as  in  a 
furnace,  (the  lake  burning  with  fire  and  brimstone,) — ^the 
fire  that  is  to  try  every  work,  (1  Cor.  3  :  13.) 

*  In  our  former  work  we  have  supposed  these  books  to  be  put  for  the  law 
and  the  prophets,  constituting,  with  the  book  of  life,  the  criteria  of  judg- 
ment; but  subsequently,  giving  more  weight  to  the  absence  of  the  article 
in  the  original,  (Rev.  20  :  12,)  we  consider  them  opposites  of  the  book  of  life. 


CATASTEOPHE.  329 

"  And  the  dead"  (these  dead  principles)  "  were  judged 
out  of  the  things  written  in  the  books,"  These  things 
written  in  the  books,  being  the  doctrines  taught  by  these 
principles,  they  are  judged  according  to  their  purport  or 
tendency,  (their  works.)  The  term  books,  of  course,  is  a 
figurative  one,  being  put  for  plans,  or  human  inventions, 
of  the  way  of  salvation,  opposites  of  that  contained  in  the 
book  of  life ;  as  it  is  said,  God  created  man  upright^  that 
is,  in  a  position  of  justification^  "but  they  have  sought 
out  many  inventions,"  (Ecc.  7  :  29.)  These  inventions  and 
their  elements,  not  corresponding  with  the  divine  plan  of 
salvation  by  grace,  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus 
Christ,  are  doomed  to  the  same  trial,  by  the  revealed 
word,  (as  by  torture,)  as  that  to  which  the  beast,  and  false 
prophet,  and  Satan,  and  death,  and  hell,  themselves  are 
condemned. 

The  crisis  of  this  judgment  scene,  appears  to  be  that 
alluded  to  as  "  the  time  of  the  dead,"  in  the  chorus,  (Rev. 
11  :  18,)  immediately  succeeding  the  sounding  of  the  last 
trumpet,  as  it  is  also  a  result  of  the  efiusion  of  the  seventh 
vial  upon  the  air  ;  the  time^  also,  of  giving  reward  to  the 
prophets  and  saints,  by  manifesting  the  truth  and  cor- 
rectness of  their  testimony,  as  in  the  promotion  of  the 
souls  beheaded  to  tribunals  of  judgment ;  and  the  time  of 
destroying  the  corrupters  of  the  earth — the  beast,  the 
false  prophet,  and  their  auxiliaries.  Referring  also  to  Rev. 
13  :  8,  we  find  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  are  those 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life, 
the  144,000  sealed  ones  being  on  Mount  Zion  with  the 
Lamb,  as  subsequently  seen  by  the  apostle. 

The  Greek  term  rendered  the  dead^  in  our  common  ver- 


330  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

sion,  signifies,  primarily,  the  body  of  an  animal  deprived 
of  its  life  or  spirit,  and  is  thus  an  approjDriate  figure  of  a 
doctrine,  or  doctrinal  principle,  derived  from  a  literal  or 
carnal  mterpretation  of  written  revelation.  As  such,  the 
dead  here  are  those  who  died  in  the  sea  at  the  sound- 
ing of  the  first  trumpet ;  those  who  died  from  drinking  of 
the  bitter  waters  of  'Wormioood ;  those  that  were  killed  or 
slain  by  the  cavahy  from  the  river  Euphrates,  on  the 
sounding  of  the  sixth  trumpet ;  those  that  were  killed  by 
the  fire  from  the  mouth  of  the  witnesses  in  sackcloth,  and 
the  seven  thousand  slain  by  the  earthquake,  (Rev.  11  :  13;) 
although  these  last,  according  to  the  Greek,  are  distinguish- 
ed as  the  names  of  men.  Those  of  the  opposite  class,  kill- 
ed under  the  influence  of  the  false  prophet,  for  not  worship- 
ping the  beast,  are  necessarily  to  be  found  amongst  the 
blessed  and  holy,  enjoying  the  privilege  of  the  first  re- 
surrection, (Rev.  20  :  4.) 

We  do  not  consider  the  New  Testament  only,  as  consti- 
tuting the  hook  of  life.  We  suppose  this  book  to  repre- 
sent all  that  is  revealed,  or  comprehended,  m  both  Testa- 
ments, in  relation  to  the  vicarious  sufferings  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  both  Testaments  setting  forth  that  divme  plan  of 
redemption  by  which  all  other  plans,  and  the  principles  of 
all  others,  are  to  be  judged.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  to  be 
noticed  that  it  is  only  by  being  found  amongst  the  con- 
tents of  the  hooh  of  life^  that  any  are  saved  from  the  sec- 
ond death :  being  found  in  the  other  books  is  of  no  avail. 

"  And  the  sedf^  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it :" 
the  sea^  that  was  not  to  be  unjustified  till  the  144,000 
were  sealed ;  the  sea^  the  third  of  which  became  blood 

*  §  459. 


CATASTROPHE.  331 

when  the  great  burning  mountain  was  cast  into  it;  the 
sea  upon  which  the  right  foot  of  the  mighty  angel  was 
placed,  and  against  the  inhabiters  of  which,  as  against  those 
of  the  earth,  the  wo  was  pronounced  ;  the  sea  out  of  which 
the  ten-horned  beast,  the  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ, 
vras  seen  to  arise;  the  sea  upon  which,  or  concerning 
which,  the  second  vial  of  wrath  was  poured  out,  causing  it 
to  become  as  the  blood  of  a  carcase,  and  every  living  soul 
dying  in  it ;  and  the  sea  into  which  the  stone  hke  a  mill- 
stone was  cast,  no  more  to  be  found  at  all,  as  a  simile  of 
the  eternal  destruction  of  Babylon.  This  sea^  "  with  its 
waves  roaring,"  we  have  throughout  considered  a  figure 
of  the  vengeance  of  the  broken  law.  This  sea  now  gives 
up  apparently  those  who  have  been  represented  as  having 
died  in  it — "  its  dead,"  (Rev,  8  :  9,)  principles  of  doctrine, 
such  as  of  self-justification,  or  self-dependence,  which  have 
sufiered  the  first  death,  in  the  manifestation  of  their  incon- 
sistency with  the  spirit  of  the  written  word,  and  their  con- 
sequent incapacity  to  meet  the  requisitions  of  the  law ; 
they  are  now  to  undergo  the  second  trial,  that  of  compar- 
ison with  the  contents  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life — God's 
plan  of  salvation  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ.* 


*  We  use  the  expression  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ  here,  and  elsewhere,  in 
preference  to  that  of  the  atonement,  as  being  more  comprehensive,  according 
to  our  association  of  ideas.  The  atonement  of  Christ,  typified  bj  the  blood 
and  water  shed  upon  the  cross,  we  apply  to  the  removal  of  the  guilt  of  sin, 
thus  saving  the  sinner  from  merited  punishment,  but  leaving  him  unentitled 
to  any  thing  further  than  the  benefit  of  this  escape.  The  mca)'iotis  sacrifice 
of  Christ  comprehends,  besides  this  atonement,  the  oiFering  up  of  the  right- 
eousness, or  merit,  of  Christ  (typified  by  the  body  of  his  flesh,  offered  upon 
the  cross  as  upon  an  altar)  in  behalf  of  the  saved  sinner,  thus  entitling  him 
to  the  further  benefit  of  eternal  life.    The  merit  of  the  divvne  righteousness. 


332  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

The  sea  is  not  represented  as  being  itself  condemned. 
It  is  a  legitimate  element  for  a  certain  pm*pose,  and  hav- 
ing accomplished  this  purpose,  it  is,  as  afterwards  said, 
to  be  no  more  met  with.  Death  and  hell,  on  the  contrary, 
not  only  deliver  up  their  dead,  but  they  themselves,  also, 
are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  which  is  the  second  death.* 

The  same  death  was  seen  on  the  opening  of  the  fourth 
seal,  going  forth  on  the  pale-gr^en  horse,  and  the  same 
hell  followed  with  him.  They  were  represented  as  in- 
separable comj)anions,  as  closely  connected  as  the  condem- 
nation of  man  is  with  his  position  under  the  law,  or  physi- 
cally, as  death  is  with  the  grave.  They  are  not  afterwards 
represented  as  having  acted  in  the  character  first  de- 
scribed, but  wherever  the  state  or  condition  of  death  is 
alluded  to  throughout  the  vision,  there  we  may  suppose 
the  rider  of  the  pale-green  horse  to  have  acted  his  part 
with  hell,  his  coadjutor.  They  are  spoken  of  in  the  com- 
mencement of  the  revelation  as  a  mystery,  of  which  the 
One  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man  has  the  keys,  (Rev  1:18.) 
As  a  figure  they  seem  to  be  very  nearly  equivalent  to  the 
bottomless  pit ;  there  would  have  been  something  incon- 
gruous, however,  in  the  representation  of  casting  the  bot- 
tomless pit  into  the  lake  of  fire ;  they  are  here,  therefore, 
spoken  of  as  warriors,  and  in  keeping  with  that  figure 
they  experience  the  fate  depicted. 

so  offered  in  behalf  of  the  disciple,  and  accounted  Ms,  becomes  to  him  that  ia- 
heritance,  the  reward  of  which  is  everlasting  bliss,  such  as  "  eye  hath  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive." 
The  principles  of  the  whole  of  this  blessed  mystery  constitute,  we  apprehend, 
what  is  termed  the  book  of  life,  with  which  all  other  books,  mysteries,  or 
doctrines  are  to  be  compared. 
*  §  460. 


CATASTROPHE.  333 

As  before  remarked,  tlie  same  subject  often  requires  a 
variety  of  figures  to  illustrate  different  features  of  its  cha- 
racter ;  at  the  same  time,  whatever  this  variety  may  be, 
there  is  in  the  sacred  writings  a  certain  regard  to  congru- 
ity  in  the  treatment  of  each  figure. 

To  exhibit  the  power  by  which  the  death  and  hell  mys- 
tery is  sustained,  it  was  necessary  to  represent  its  depend- 
ence upon  the  system  represented  by  the  pale-green 
horse ;  as  it  was  necessary  that  the  same  mystery  should 
be  symbohzed  by  combatants,  to  illustrate  its  hostihty  to 
the  Word  of  God,  or  divine  plan  of  salvation.  To  throw 
light  upon  the  hopeless  character  of  the  mystery,  required 
the  figure  of  a  bottomless  pit — a  system  of  faith  or  hope 
without  a  foundation.  Again,  to  show  its  inconsistency  with 
the  mystery  of  the  Gospel,  the  two  combatants  appear 
as  criminals  tried  and  condemned  at  the  bar  of  divine  sove- 
reignty, for  their  rebellious  opposition  to  the  purpose  of 
the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ,  and  thus,  as  rebels  taken 
in  arms,  doomed  to  the  everlasting  torture  as  by  fire  of 
the  second  death. 

Death  and  hell  themselves  constitute  \h.Q  first  death;  it 
is  therefore  only  to  the  second  death  that  they  can  be  sub- 
jected ;  as  it  is  only  by  the  exhibition  of  the  mind  (Word) 
of  God,  involving  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  that 
the  power  of  death  and  hell  is  overcome ;  as  it  is  said, 
"  It  is  God  that  justifieth,  who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?" 

The  mystery,  or  system,  of  death  and  hell  comprehends 
all  the  legal  and  condemnatory  principles  referred  to  in 
the  saying  of  the  apostle  Paul  "  I  was  ahve  without  the 
law  but  when  the  law  came  sin  revived  and  I  died  :"  the 
death  alluded  to  being  a  position  under  the  law — a  death 


334  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

in  trespasses  and  sin,  necessarily  followed  by  condemnation. 
The  principles  constituting  this  position,  we  take  to  be  the 
dead  which  death  and  hell  deliver  up  to  be  judged  by 
comparison  with  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

The  sea,  death,  and  hell,  are  judged  each  according  to 
their  works.*  These  several  systems,  or  mysteries,  are 
judged  according  to  the  tendency  of  their  respective  prin- 
ciples— tendencies  exemplified  in  the  operations  of  the 
locusts  from  the  bottomless  pit,  and  of  the  horsemen  from 
the  Euphrates,  and  consequently  inconsistent  with  the  con- 
tents of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

The  doom  of  the  sea  is  not  mentioned,  but,  as  appears 
afterwards,  it  is,  figuratively  speaking,  condemned  to 
banishment,  as  an  element  incompatible  with  the  new  state 
of  things — ^the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth. 

The  fate  of  death  and  heU  corresponds  with  the  triumph 
alluded  to  by  the  apostle  Paul,  "  Death  is  swallowed  up  in 
victory.  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  O  hell,  {liades^ 
where  is  thy  \ictory?"  (1  Cor.  15  :  55.) 

The  ascendency  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  over  these 
condemned  elements,  corresponds  with  the  victory  ascribed 
by  the  same  apostle  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  In  this 
apocalyptic  scene,  the  power  by  which  these  elements  are 
condemned,  is  ascribed  to  the  occupant  of  the  white  throne, 
(the  Word  of  God;)  but,  as  we  shall  see,  there  is  no  dis- 
crepancy here,  the  result  showing  that  Word,  and  the  Book 
of  life,  and  the  Lamb,  to  be  one;  as  these  are  seen  also  to 

*  The  expression  of  our  common  version,  Rev.  20  :  13,  "  every  man," 
does  not  seem  warranted  by  the  original,  the  term  there  employed  signify- 
ing each,  referring,  as  we  apprehend,  to  the  three  personifications  mentioned 
in  the  same  verse. 


CATASTROPHE.  335 

be  one  with  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  vision,  (Rev.  4  :  2,  3.) 

Any  one,  it  is  added,  not  found  written  iu  the  book  of 
life,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.*  The  same  personification 
of  principles  we  conceive  to  be  continued  here.  This  lake 
of  fire  is  something  into  which  death  and  hell  are  cast, 
and  death  and  hell  are  mysteries,  or  systems  of  doctrine. 
The  lake  of  fire  must  be,  therefore,  somethiag  by  which 
such  mysteries  may  be  acted  upon.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  term  any  one  must  apply  to  things  like  these  mysteries, 
capable  of  being  subjects  to  the  same  action.  Here,  there- 
fore, as  elsewhere  in  the  Apocalypse,  we  consider  Xh^fire 
m  question,  to  be  the  fire  of  the  written  word,  operating 
as  an  unceasing  test  upon  every  doctrine,  or  doctrinal  ele- 
ment, exposed  to  its  power — ^the  trial,  ever  going  on,  of 
false  doctrines  and  false  principles  with  the  revealed  word 
of  God  in  its  proper  sense. 

Corresponding  with  the  triumphant  song  of  the  chorus 
on  the  sounding  of  the  last  trumpet,  (Rev.  11  :  18,)  the 
elements  of  doctrine,  which  have  "  corrupted"  the  earthly 
system,  (perverting  the  use  of  the  law  to  the  estabhshment 
of  a  self-righteous  plan  of  self-justification,)  are  now  them- 
selves doomed  to  corruption;  their  destruction  by  the 
test  to  which  they  are  exposed,  being  manifested.! 

Note. — The  whole  of  this  judgment-scene,  as  well  as  the  sentence  after- 
wards pronounced  (Rev.  21  :  8)  upon  the  fearful  and  unbelieving,  and  others, 
and  the  exclusion  of  certain  things  (principles  or  elements  of  doctrine)  from 
the  holy  city,  (Rev.  21 :  27,  and  22  :  15,)  we  consider  exhibitions  of  the  same 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  or  wrath  of  God,  before  represented  under  different 
figures  or  symbols;  the  subjects  condemned  to  the  lake  of  fire  m  this  judg- 

*  §  4G1.  t  §  402. 


336  THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

ment-scene  comprehending  those  to  which  we  have  alluded  as  afterwards 
enumerated. 

These  several  representations,  therefore,  are  not  to  be  looked  upon  as  appli- 
cable to  successive  events ;  they  are  so  many  illustrations  of  different  features 
of  the  same  errors,  and  of  the  different  tests  by  which  their  enormity  is  ex- 
posed. The  destruction  of  Babylon  by  the  ten  horns  and  by  fire,  is  an 
exemplication  of  her  fall,  proclaimed  in  the  mid-heaven,  (Rev.  14  :  8,)  and 
the  fate  of  those  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  (Rev.  20  :  15,)  is  a  fulfillment  of  the 
prediction  concerning  the  worshippers  of  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  those 
receiving  his  mark  in  the  forehead  or  in  the  hand.     (Rev.  14 :  9, 10.) 

The  subjects  slain  by  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word  of  God,  are 
manifested  to  be  devoid  of  the  spirit  of  revelation :  ("not  having  the  Spirit," 
Jude  19.) 

The  same  subjects,  by  their  exclusion  from  the  holy  city,  are  manifested  to 
be  inconsistent  with  the  divine  plan  of  salvation. 

The  same,  also,  condemned,  as  not  being  found  in  the  book  of  the  life  of 
the  Lamb,  are  manifested  to  be  principles  inconsistent  with  the  vicarious 
sacrifice  of  Christ. 

And  the  same,  as  doomed  to  an  everlasting  trial  by  the  standard  of  written 
revelation,  in  its  true  sense,  are  described  as  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone. 

The  slaughter,  the  second  death,  and  the  exclusion  from  the  holy  city,  are 
thus  three  figures  of  the  execution  of  the  same  wrath  upon  all  erroneous 
doctrines.  These  errors,  being  such  as  are  prevalent  in  professedly  Christ- 
ian systems  of  faith,  symbolized  by  certain  churches,  their  destruction  is  a 
pre-requisite  to  the  new  views  about  to  be  presented. 

Although  this  scene  has  been  almost  universally  taken  to  be  an  exhibition 
of  the  last  judgment,  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  term,  we  do  not  ap- 
prehend it  to  have  been  so  intended;  except  that  there  maybe  a  certain 
analogy  between  the  doctrinal  judgment  here  supposed,  and  a  judgment  to 
come  in  a  more  literal  sense.  For  the  latter  we  are  to  have  recourse  to  other 
portions  of  the  sacred  writings,  where  there  is  no  lack  of  evidence  upon  the 
subject.  Our  own  impression  is,  as  we  feel  bound  to  add,  that  the  sentence 
of  that  judgment  is  virtually  passed  upon  every  individual  immediately  upon 
the  change  from  the  present  to  the  next  state  of  existence. 

The  language  and  representations  of  the  Scriptures  are  admitted  to  be 
frequently  those  of  accommodation,  (anthropological ;)  and  in  whatever 
terms  the  subject  of  a  future  judgment  may  be  presented  to  our  minds,  the 
same  scriptures  warrant  our  presuming  that  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  from 
whom  no  secrets  are  hid,  can  have  no  occasion  to  wait  a  distant  period,  when 
his  mind  will  be  made  up  as  to  the  merits  or  demerits  of  any  of  his  creatures. 


CATASTROPHE.  337 


Scene:  The  new  Heaven  and  the  new  Eaeth. 

"  And  I  saw,"  says  the  apostle,  "  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth  ;"*  or,  as  it  might  be  rendered,  according  to  the 
Greek  order — I  saw  heaven  new  and  earth  new.  The 
change  is  an  effect  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  seventh  vial 
upon  the  air.  Truth  itself  is  unchangeable,  but  error  seen 
through  a  false  medium  may  appear  truth  ;  that  medium 
being  changed,  truth  appears  as  it  is,  and  error  vanishes. 
The  scene  presented  is  equivalent  to  a  manifestation  of 
the  substitution  of  the  new  dispensation  for  the  old,  allud- 
ed to  Heb.  8:13.  Prior  to  the  effusion  of  the  seventh 
vial,  from  a  false  construction,  the  covenant  of  grace  had 
appeared  to  be  one  of  works,  or  partly  such ;  that  con- 
struction being  now  corrected,  (the  air  purified  and  the 
false  prophet  gone  to  his  last  trial,f)  all  opposing  elements 
having  been  overcome,  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  appears 
in  its  true  light. 

The  old  earth  and  heaven  had  fled  from  the  face  of  Him 
who  sat  upon  the  great  white  throne ;  all  legal  views  of 
the  Gospel  economy  being  unable  to  withstand  the  exhibi- 
tion of  the  "Word  of  God,  (the  divine  purpose  of  grace,) 

*  The  chapters  should  not  have  been  separated  here,  (Rev.  21  : 1,)  for  the 
subject  is  immediately  connected  with  and  resulting  from  the  matter-  just  ex- 
hibited. There  is  no  pause  in  the  representation — the  scene  only  is  changed. 
(§  463.)  As  the  confinement  of  Satan  to  the  pit  was  a  result  of  the  victory 
over  the  beast  and  false  prophet  and  their  forces,  so  the  appearance  of  the 
new  heaven  and  new  earth,  of  the  Bride  and  of  all  things  new,  is  a  result  of 
the  judgment-scene  just  witnessed,  as  well  as  of  the  doom  of  Satan,  death, 
and  hell  to  the  lake  of  fire. 

f  That  woman  Jezebel  also  being  in  effect  cast  upon  a  JeVr.  (Rev.  2 ;  20.) 
15 


m. 


338  .<j    T^HfTTn&E   SEALED   BOOK. 

when  seen  to  be  sustained  by  the  attribute  of  divine  sove- 
reignty. 

In  this  new  view,  too,  there  is  no  more  sea.  Death,  and 
hell,  and  Satan,  having  gone  into  perdition,  the  position 
imder  the  broken  law  ceases.  The  accuser  being  depriv- 
ed of  his  functions,  the  element  of  judicial  wrath  is  abol- 
ished. The  sea,  as  we  have  noticed  before,  after  having 
given  up  its  dead,  is  figuratively  banished,  its  continued 
existence  being  incompatible  with  the  new  order  of  things, 
(Rom.  8:1.)  All  principalities  and  powers  hostile  to  the 
conqueror  (the  Word  of  God)  having  been  put  under  his 
feet,  we  are  now  to  contemplate  his  triumphant  position. 

As  the  old  earth  was  considered  the  platform  of  a  pre- 
tended justification  by  works  of  the  law,  the  new  earth 
may  be  taken  to  represent  the  platform  of  justification  by 
grace,  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  The 
products  of  the  old  earth  were  to  be  compared  to  the 
thorns  and  tliistles  spoken  of  (Gen.  3  :  18)  as  the  destm- 
ed  reward  of  man's  labor  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow — ^mere 
pretensions  of  merit,  destitute  of  the  bread,  or  means,  of 
eternal  life.  The  inhabiters  of  the  old  world,  we  have 
uniformly  taken  to  be  the  principles  of  this  system  of 
works — ^principles  of  action  emanating  from  mercenary 
motives,  such  as  must  necessarily  actuate  those  who  go 
about  to  establish  their  own  justification,  or  salvation, 
"  by  works  of  righteousness  which  they  have  done." 

The  product  of  the  new  earth  is  that  which  yields  the 
true  bread  of  eternal  life — ^the  righteousness  of  Jesus 
Christ,  together  with  his  vicarious  suffering,  or  atonement, 
(the  water  of  life.)  The  difference  between  the  products 
of  the  two  earths,  corresponds  with  that   between  the 


CATASTROPHE. 


leeks,  and  garlic,  and  flesh-pots  of  the  land  of  bondage, 
(Num.  11  :  5,)  and  the  milk,  and  honey,  and  abundance 
of  wiue,  and  oU,  and  wheat,  of  the  promised  Canaan.  The 
apocalyptic  inhdbiters  of  this  Tiew  earth  must  be,  therefore, 
such  principles  as  can  emanate  only  from  a  position  in  which 
the  motive  of  conduct  is  necessarily  that  of  gratitude  or 
love :  as  in  the  case  of  a  beneficiary,  who  has  obtakied 
every  thmg  he  can  possibly  wish  or  hope  for ;  having  no 
occasion  for  fear  or  dread,  his  only  motive  of  conduct 
must  be  that  of  gratitude  towards  his  benefactor. 

Such  is  the  position  symbolized  by  the  new  earth,  or 
land — ^the  land  of  promise.  Death,  and  hell,  and  Satan 
having  been  overcome,  there  is  nothing  to  apprehend  from 
them,  and  there  is  no  more  sea — no  judicial  element  of 
wrath :  all  causes  of  fear  are  removed.  The  abundant  pro- 
vision for  eternal  happiness,  comfort  and  safety  of  this 
new  earth,  remains  yet  to  be  exhibited,  as  we  shall  find  it 
to  be  in  the  particulars  given  of  the  holy  city ;  this  being 
but  another  figure  of  the  same  position. 

As  before  remarked  of  the  ancient  astronomical  system, 
that  the  earth  was  considered  the  centre  about  which  the 
heavenly  bodies  (commonly  so  called)  moved  as  satellites, 
so  the  new  heaven  is  to  be  considered  in  relation  to 
the  new  earth.  The  sun  of  the  new  heaven  is  now  seen 
to  be  a  Sun  of  Righteousness,  with  healing  in  his  wings ; 
an  opposite  in  its  action  of  that  sun  to  which  power  was 
given  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  The  moon  of  the  new 
heaven  is,  hke  that  seen  by  the  apostle  in  heaven,  the  har- 
binger of  glad  tidings,  (Rev.  12:1;)  differing  from  that 
which,  with  the  sun  and  stars,  was  smitten  (in  the  third 
sense,  Rev.  8  :  12,)  so  as  in  that  sense  to  be  darkened. 


340  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

The  stars,  also,  are  no  longer  dragged  from  heaven  to 
earth  by  the  tail  of  the  serpent.  These  elements  of  rev- 
elation all  appear  under  a  different  aspect.  As.  the 
apostle  saw  heaven  new,  so  he  sees  all  these  heavenly 
bodies  new ;  equivalent  to  a  change  in  the  views  of  one 
who  has  been  brought  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous 
light,  (1  Peter  2:9.)  All  the  elements  of  divine  revela- 
tion pertaining  to  God's  plan  of  salvation  appear  now  in  a 
new  Hght. 

As  a  consequence  of  this  new  aspect  of  heaven  and 
earth,  the  apostle  saw*  also,  "  the  holy  city,  New  Jerusa- 
lem, coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband."  From  what  is  else- 
where said,  the  inference  is  indisputable,  that  this  holy 
city,  thus  seen  descending  from  heaven,  is  the  Wife  an- 
nounced by  the  last  heavenly  chorus  as  arrayed  in  fine 
linen,  clean  and  white,  prepared  for  the  marriage  feast, 
(Rev.  19  :  8.)  She  was  then  so  made  ready  in  heaven; 
she  is  now  revealed  from  heaven ;  the  Bride  or  Wife  of  the 
Lamb  is  accordingly  the  New  Jerusalem;  the  "Jerusa- 
lem which  is  above,"  spoken  of  by  Paul,  as  one  of  the  two 
covenants,  or  testaments,  typified  by  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
Abraham ;  and  an  opposite  of  the  old  Jerusalem,  which,  in 
the  time  of  that  apostle,  was  in  bondage  to  the  Romans,  and 
which  was  typified  by  the  bond-woman  of  the  patriarch. 
The  holy  city,  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb,  is,  accordingly,  the 
new  covenant — ^the  covenant  of  grace — the  new  arrange- 
ment, or  dispensation,  succeeding  the  old  or  legal  dispen- 
sation. In  other  words,  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  Wife  of 
the  Lamb,  is  a  figure  of  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by 

*  §5^  464-467. 


CATASTKOPHE.  341 

grace — the  Word  of  God — the  Word  impersonated  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  same  Word  of  God  which,  under 
the  figure  of  the  conquering  rider  of  the  white  horse,  over- 
came the  beast  and  false  prophet,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth 
and  their  armies.  That  Word  we  have  seen  as  the  con- 
queror going  forth  with  his  covenant  bow,  as  the  reaper 
of  the  earth  on  the  white  cloud,  as  the  Judge  upon  the 
great  white  throne ;  and  now  we  see  the  same  Word  as 
the  Wife  of  the  Lamb  and  the  New  Jerusalem. 

As  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb,  the  New  Jerusalem  and  the 
Lamb  are  identified;  the  man  and  his  wife  being  one 
flesh.  The  New  Jerusalem  and  the  Word  of  God  are  two 
expressions  of  the  same  thing.  The  Word  of  God  is  thus 
identified  with  the  Lamb  ;  and  all  that  is  understood  of 
the  holy  city  and  of  this  Word,  is  also  to  be  predicated  of 
the  Lamb.  So,  as  Jesus  Christ  is  elsewhere  declared  to 
be  the  Word  made  fleshy  Jesus  and  the  Lamb  are 'here 
identified  as  that  Word  of  God,  impersonated  in  the  Lamb 
slain  fi.'om  the  foundation  of  the  world ;  whence,  all  that 
is  to  be  understood  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  is  to  be 
understood  of  Jesus  Christ :  as  the  one  represents  the 
divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace,  (the  new  cove- 
nant,) so  the  other  is  the  impersonation  of  that  covenant, 
or  divine  purpose.  Thus  far  Jesus  Christ  is  revealed  or 
unveiled,  but  there  is  a  step  beyond  this  yet  to  be  ex- 
hibited. 

On  the  descent  of  the  New  Jerusalem  from  heaven,  the 
apostle  heard  a  great  voice  saying,  "  Behold^  the  taber- 

*  The  word  is,  supplied  by  translators,  alters  the  sense ;  the  spectator, 
according  to  the  Greek,  being  called  upon  to  contemplate  the  tabernacle  of 
God  in  the  holy  city. 


342  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

nacle  of  God  with  men."  The  reference  is  plainly  to  the 
holy  city*  just  seen.  The  tabernacle  of  God,  and  the  New 
Jerusalem,  are  two  figures  of  the  same  thing,  differing 
only  as  a  house  from  a  tent,  or  a  city  from  an  encamp- 
ment. 

Heaven,  comprehending  the  heavenly  bodies,  symboli- 
cally may  be  considered  the  entire  scriptural  display  of  the 
plan  and  purposes  of  divine  government,  of  which  the  way 
of  salvation  is  a  part.  Out  of  this  heaven,  as  revealed 
from  it,  the  New  Jerusalem  is  seen  descending ;  and  out 
of  the  same  heaven  a  voice  is  heard,  virtually  the  language 
of  divine  revelation,  announcing  this  holy  city  to  be  the 
tabernacle  of  God.  The  purpose  of  grace  is  now  symbol- 
ized as  a  tabernacle  or  tent,  to  illustrate  the  dwelling  of 
God  with  men^\  that  "  they  shall  be  his  people,  that  he 
himself  shall  be  with  them,  their  God  ;"  that  he  will  wipe 
away  tears  fi*om  all  eyes,  that  there  shall  be  no  more 
death,  neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any 
more  pain,  for  the  reason  that  "  the  former  things  are 
passed  away."  (See  Appendix  E.) 

The  men^X  ^^^^  spoken  of,  must  be  the  men  of  the  neio 
earth,  and,  pm-suing  the  analogy  hitherto  adopted,  they 
represent  the  principles  of  the  new  position,  generating 
gratitude  and  love  to  God,  as  the  only  motives  of  con- 
duct; corresponding  T\ith  the  expression  of  Paul,  "  If  any 
man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature ;  old  things  have 
passed  away,  all  things  have  become  new."     John,  we 

*  §  468. 

t  The  figure  being  taken  from  the  presence  of  the  chief  of  a  tribe,  as  in 
licated  by  the  permanent  position  of  his  tent  amongst  them. 
%  %  469. 


CATASTROPHE.  343 

may  say,  describes  the  new  state,  or  new  constitution  of 
things,  by  which  all  causes  of  sorrow  (as  arising  from  sin, 
and  from  the  fear  of  condemnation,  and  from  the  anxious 
pain  of  labor  in  working  out  a  righteousness  of  the  law) 
are  removed,  or  taken  away;  while  Paul  alludes  to  the 
condition  of  the  disciple  individually,  under  this  new  con- 
stitution, this  new  position  of  grace^  and  this  new  aspect 
of  the  divine  plan  of  government. 

The  voice  from  heaven^  however,  may  warrant  us  in  con- 
sidering the  language  equivalent  to  that  of  a  chorus  ad- 
dressed to  spectators,  explaining^  to  a  certain  degree,  the 
myth  of  the  exhibition.  In  this  case  the  term  men  may 
apply  to  disciples  in  general,  as,  wherever  the  divine  plan 
of  justification  by  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ,  as 
a  matter  of  sovereign  grace,  is  brought  home  to  the  un- 
derstanding of  the  repenting  sinner,  and  rested  upon  in 
faith,  these  tears  are  virtually  wiped  away.  The  godly 
sorrow  that  worketh  a  repentance  unto  life,  has  perform- 
ed its  task.  The  disciple,  ahve  in  Christy  no  longer  regards 
himself  as  "  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins ;"  with  him  there 
is  no  more  death  in  the  judicial  sense  of  the  term ;  whence, 
in  relation  to  his  eternal  welfare,  there  is  no  more  sorrow 
or  crying,  (lamentation ;)  neither  any  more  pain  or  pain- 
ful labor^  as  the  Greek  word  signifies.  Not  because  there 
is  a  change  ia  himself,  except  in  his  views,  but  because 
there  is  a  change  in  his  position ;  as  it  is  elsewhere  said, 
"  he  is  no  longer  under  the  law  but  under  grace ;"  he 
lives  or  walks,  as  a  matter  of  faith,  under  a  new  constitution. 

All  this  we  may  suppose  to  take  place  in  the  present 
life,  as  a  matter  of  faith  with  disciples,  individually,  to  a 


344  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

certain  degree  ;*  but  its  perfect  fruition  can  only  be  ex 
pected  in  that  state  where  we  shall  see  face  to  face 
Meantime,  we  presume  the  design  of  the  passage  is  to  set 
forth  the  principles  of  the  new  constitution  without  refer- 
ence to  the  place,  or  persons,  where,  or  by  whom  the  ben- 
efits are  to  be  enjoyed,  either  imperfectly  in  this  state  of 
existence,  or  perfectly  in  that  which  is  to  come. 

This  proclamation  of  the  voice  from  heaven  corresponds 
with  the  explanation  given  to  the  apostle,  in  Jieaven^  by 
one  of  the  elders,  (Rev  1  :  13.)  Here,  the  scene  being 
laid  on  earth,  (the  new  earth,)  the  last  may  be  considered 
a  symbolical  fulfillment  of  the  first.  There^  it  is  said, 
"  He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them ;" 
here^  it  is  shown  that  this  is  done  by  the  development 
of  the  divine  purjDose  of  grace,  symbolized  as  the  city,  and 
as  the  tabernacle  of  God.  In  both  representations,  it  is 
God  that  wipes  away  tears  from  all  eyes ;  but  in  the  first, 
the  Lamb  is  spoken  of  as  the  instrumental  cause,  whereas, 
in  the  second,  it  is  the  presence  of  the  tabernacle,  or 
descent  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  that  is  the  instrument. 
The  holy  city  and  tabernacle,  however,  as  has  been  shown, 
are  figures  of  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  Wife  of  the 
Lamb  is  the  Lamb,  the  two  being  one,  (Eph.  5  :  31,  32  ;) 
whence  there  is  no  discrepancy  here,  different  illustrations 
being  employed  to  set  forth  the  same  truth. 

"  And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said.  Behold,  I  make 
all  things  new."    The  throne  here  referred  to,  we  take  to 

*  Corresponding  with  the  language  of  the  psalmist,  (Ps.  27  :  4,  5.)  It  is 
the  protection  of  the  covenant  of  grace  against  the  requisitions  of  the  broken 
law. 


CATASTROPHE.  345 

be  the  "  great  white  throne,"*  which  is  still  in  view,  the 
representation  having  been  tininterrupted.  It  is  the 
Word  of  God,  therefore,  that  makes  all  things  new ;  not 
that  there  is,  or  can  be,  any  change  in  the  mind  of  the 
Creator,  for  he  is  without  variableness  or  shadow  of 
change.  The  change  is  in  the  manifestation  of  things  or 
divine  purposes.  The  development  of  the  "Word  of  God 
consists  m  this  manifestation.  The  Word  of  God,  as  the 
Wife  of  the  Lamb,  is  one  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  is 
Jesus  Christ,  who  is  also  declared  to  be  that  "Word  made 
flesh." 

Christ,  as  the  Lord  our  righteousness,  virtually  makes 
all  things  new ;  having  fulfilled  the  law  in  behalf  of  his 
followers,  he  brings  them  into  a  new  position.  As  the  old 
earth  and  old  heaven  fled  from  the  face  of  Him  that  sat 
upon  the  great  white  throne,  so  it  is  said  of  the  disciple 
individually,  "  old  things  are  passed  away,  aU  things  are 
become  new." 

Christ  and  the  Word  are  one ;  Jesus  Christ  (the  Word) 
is  thus  represented  as  the  conqueror  and  judge  upon  the 
white  throne,  as  the  Bride  or  New  Jerusalem,  and  as  the 
tabernacle  of  God.  The  words,  "  Behold  the  tabernacle 
of  God,"  are  accordingly  equivalent  to  the  exclamation, 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God."  So,  what  is  here  said  of  the 
dwelling  of  God  with  men,  imder  the  figure  of  a  taber- 
nacle, corresponds  as  a  matter  of  manifestation  with  the 
fact  stated  elsewhere,  (John  1:14,)  "  The  Word  was 
made  flesh  and  dwelt  amongst  us."  That  it  is  by  the  same 
instrumentality  that  tears  are  wiped  from  all  eyes,  and 

*  §  470. 
15* 


346  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

that  there  is  no  more  deaths  m  the  legal  sense  of  the  term, 
is  too  obvious  to  need  comment ;  while,  whatever  be  the 
representation  of  instrmnentaUties,  it  is  equally  obvious 
that  God,  the  Creator,  is  the  real  operator.  This  we  find 
to  be  in  accordance  with  the  subsequent  declaration. 

He  that  sat  upon  the  throne,  after  directing  the  apostle 
to  write,*  apparently,  the  assurances  just  given,  (Rev. 
21  :  4,  5,)  and  after  having  announced  the  completion  of 
his  work,  (v.  6,)  declares  himself  to  be  the  "  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end ;"  and  consequently 
"  the  Almighty,"  as  announced  in  the  commencement  of 
the  vision,  (Rev.  1:8.)  This  seems  to  bring  us  to  the  con- 
clusion of  the  tissue  of  the  narrative.  The  apostle  was 
forbidden  to  write  the  things  uttered  by  the  seven  thun- 
ders, (Rev.  10  :  4,)  evidently  because  those  things  or  say- 
ings belonged  to  the  Sinaic  dispensation,  which  was  to  pass 
away  on  the  appearance  of  the  mighty  angel  with  the  httle 
book  open.  He  is  now  directed  to  write  the  words  or 
sayings  he  has  since  seen  or  heard,  as  things  that  are  to 
remain,  (Heb.  12  :  27,)  and  which,  as  such,  are  termed 
"faithiul  and  true;"  corresponding  with  the  title  of 
"  Faithfol  and  True,"  attributed  to  the  rider  of  the  white 
horse,  (Rev.  19  :  11.) 

The  declaration  for  the  second  time,  "  It  is  done,"  car- 
ries us  back  to  the  pourmg  out  of  the  seventh  vial,  (Rev. 
1 6  : 1 T.)  As  we  then  observed,  the  operation  itself  was  done^ 
although  its  effects  remained  to  be  described.!  That  de- 
scription is  now  completed ;  the  exhibition  of  the  effects 
of  that  operation  is  now  a  thing  done — ^the  development 
of  the  "  mystery  of  God,"  to  be  finished  in  the  days  of  the 

*  §  471.  t  §  472. 


CATASTROPHE.  347 

voice  ef  the  seventh  angel,  is  completed  or  brought  to  an 
end;  the  subsequent  portion  of  what  we  consider  the 
contents  of  the  sealed  book,  being  an  expansion  of  that 
part  of  the  narrative  which  pertains  to  the  descent  and 
appearance  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  As  a  summary,  there- 
fore, of  the  whole  development.  He  that  sits  upon  the 
throne  (the  great  white  throne)  declares  himself  to  be  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  leaving  it  to  be  inferred  that  he  is  the 
Almighty ;  as  also  that  he  is  the  one  Hke  unto  the  Son  of 
Man — a  mystery  more  fully  set  forth  in  the  expansioD 
alluded  to. 

The  kingdom  is  now  given  up  to  the  Father,  and  it  is 
accordingly  the  Almighty  that  gives  the  promise  of  a  gra- 
tuitous participation  in  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  to 
him  that  is  athirst,*  corresponding  with  the  invitation  of 
Jesus  himself  at  the  close  of  the  vision,  (Rev.  22  :  17,) 
upon  which  we  shall  have  to  remark  in  its  place. 

The  manifestation  that  the  Word  of  God  (the  rider  of 
the  white  horse)  is  the  Son  of  God,  remains  yet  to  be  con- 
firmed; for  this  we  think  the  last  promise  to  the  con- 
queror is  given:  "He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all 
things,  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  Son." 

We  have  shown,  (Part  I.,  chapter  5,)  by  the  peculiar- 
ity of  most  of  the  other  promises  to  the  conqueror,  that 
these  can  be  fiilfilled  only  in  the  person  of  Him  who  was 
seen  at  first  going  out  conquering  and  to  conquer,  or  "  over- 
coming and  to  overcome."  We  have  shown,  too,  by  the 
course  of  the  narrative,  that  this  conqueror  must  be  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse,  whose  "  name  is  called  the  Word 
of  God."  To  him,  therefore,  the  promise  of  the  Ahnighty  is 

*  §  473. 


348  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

now  to  be  fulfilled.  He  is  to  be  manifested  to  be  the  Son 
of  God,  and  as  such  the  inheritor  or  heir  of  all  things. 
This  is  impHed  in  the  exhibition  just  passed  over,  and  is 
further  shown  in  the  description  of  the  holy  city  about  to 
be  given.* 

The  conqueror  is  the  Word  of  God ;  the  Word  of  God  is 
the  divine  purpose  of  salvation,  (the  new  covenant ;)  this 
purpose  or  covenant  is  the  Jerusalem  from  heaven,  (Gal. 
4  :  26 ;)  the  Jerusalem  from  heaven  is  the  Wife  of  the 
Lamb  ;  the  Lamb  is  the  Son  of  God ;  the  Wife  and  her 
husband,  the  Lamb,  are  one^  (the  one  identified  with  the 
other :)  the  Word  of  God  is  therefore  the  Son  of  God ;  the 
Son  of  God  is  Jesus  Christ,  (the  Word  made  flesh ;)  and 
Jesus  Christ  is  made  or  manifested  to  be  the  heir  of  all 
things,  and  consequently  to  be  the  Word  of  God,  the 
conqueror  or  over  comer.  He  that  overcometh,  (thus 
identified  with  Jesus  Christ,)  is  the  heu'  of  all  things,  and 
as  such  inherits  all  things :  the  promise  to  this  conqueror 
corresponding  almost  word  for  word  with  that  quoted  by 
Paul  in  reference  to  Jesus  Christ :  "  I  will  be  to  him  a 
Father,  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a  Son."     (Heb.  1:5.) 

We  find,  in  the  expanded  description  subsequently  given 
of  the  holy  Jerusalem,  that  nothing  more  is  said  of  "  Him 
that  overcometh,"  or  the  conqueror,  and  we  apprehend 
the  reason  is  that  the  holy  city  is  itself  the  figure  of  that 
overcoming  power ;  its  identity  with  the  Lamb  having 
been  shown,  the  symbolic  figure  only  is  dropped,  but  the 
thing  symbolized  continues  to  be  represented  under  an- 
other figure. 

As  the  last  promise,  Hke  the  others,  to  the  conqueror, 

*  §§  474,  475. 


CATASTROPHE.  349 

applies  to  the  divine  purpose  of  redemption,  so  the  ana- 
thema, as  it  may  be  called,  immediately  followmg,  apphes 
to  elements  of  doctrine  opposed  to  that  plan — opposites  of 
the  true  and  faithful  words  or  sayings,  to  be  written  as  of 
permanent  endurance.* 

The  "  fearful"  or  cowardly  we  suppose  to  be  views  or 
principles  generating  want  of  confidence  in  God's  plan  of 
salvation,  as  it  is  said  in  the  Psalms :  "  Jehovah  taketh  not 
pleasure  in  the  legs  of  a  man ;  he  taketh  pleasure  in  them 
that /ear  him,  in  them  that  hope  in  his  mercy."  Here  is 
a  fear  of  God  not  incompatible  with  hope  or  trust  in  him. 
^he  fearful  alluded  to  in  this  sentence  of  condemnation 
may  be  compared  to  those  who  trust  to  their  own  strength, 
theu'  own  legs,  their  own  means  of  escape,  rather  than  to 
cast  themselves  upon  the  mercy  of  God  as  exhibited  in  his 
purpose  of  grace.  The  unbeheving  are  principles  of  a 
like  character,  generating  want  of  faith — not  want  of 
faith  in  the  existence  of  a  God,  or  even  want  of  faith  in 
the  divine  mission  of  Jesus  Christ ;  but  want  of  faith  in  the 
plan  of  redemption  through  his  mediatorial  sacrifice :  the 
errors  alluded  to  being  here,  as  elsewhere,  those  in  the 
visible  church,  represented  by  the  seven  churches. 

"  The  abominable"  we  suppose  to  be  mixed  principles, 
corresponding  with  the  ingredients  of  the  cup  of  the  har- 
lot. "  All  Hars"  are  figures  of  all  false  doctrines  or  prin- 
ciples, of  a  like  character  with  those  afterwards  spoken  of 
as  loving  or  making  a  lie,  (Rev.  22  :  15.)  The  purport  of 
the  other  figures  in  this  category  we  have  already  noticed 
in  commenting  upon  Rev.  9  :  20,  21,  "  the  second  death" 
being,  as  we  have  shown,  a  figure  of  the  action  of  the  re- 

*  §§  476-479. 


350  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

vealed  word  in  its  proper  sense — ^the  fire  that  is  to  try 
every  work.  The  contrast  consists  in  this,  that,  while  the 
"Word  of  God,  (the  divine  plan  of  salvation  with  all  its  ele- 
ments,) enjoys  the  triumph  indicated  in  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promises,  all  elements  of  false  doctrine  opposed  to  that 
plan  are  doomed  to  the  everlasting  trial  of  the  revealed  word, 
as  in  a  refiner's  fire,  or  as  in  the  furnace  of  the  alchemist 
— ^the  test  resulting  in  the  continual  exposure  of  their  im- 
purity, their  incompatibihty  with  the  truth,  (the  gold,)  the 
pure,  precious  truth  of  divine  revelation.     (Mai.  3  : 1-3.) 

The  exhibition  of  the  contest  between  truth  and  error, 
and  of  the  victorious  progress  of  the  Word  of  God,  is  now 
closed.  We  have  seen  that  conqueror  overcoming  by 
fire  and  sword  the  beast,  the  false  prophet,  the  kings  of 
the  earth  with  their  armies,  the  nations,  (Gog  and  Magog,) 
Satan,  the  sea,  death,  and  hell ;  we  have  seen  him  leading 
captivity  captive,  and  bestowing  rewards  upon  the  wit- 
nesses of  the  truth,  and  as  occupying  the  tribunal  of  judg- 
ment, (the  great  white  throne,)  declaring  himself  to  be 
the  Alpha  and  Omega ;  we  have  seen  him  identified  with 
the  Almighty.,  while,  as  the  New  Jerusalem,  we  recognize 
in  the  same  Word  of  God  the  Bride  of  the  Lamb,  by  which 
we  perceive  his  identity  with  the  Lamb.  It  remains  only  to 
witness  the  triumphant  position  of  this  conqueror  after  his 
victories,  of  which  position  we  have  an  exhibition  in  the  par- 
ticulars about  to  be  given  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  This  ex- 
hibition we  set  forth  as  an  episode.,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
appearance  of  an  interruption  in  the  tissue  of  the  narrative. 
We  contemplate  it,  however,  as  part  of  the  catastrophe 
coming  in  the  place  of  the  particulars  of  a  triumph  de 
creed  to  a  conqueror  on  his  victorious  return  from  the 


CATASTROPHE  351 

field  of  warfare,  or  as  coining  in  the  place  of  the  descrip- 
tion of  a  bride,  whose  happy  espousal  closes  the  scene  in 
the  catastrophe  of  a  more  familiar  dramatic  representa- 
tion.* 

*  §  480. 


352  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 


CHAPTER     X. 

A  GREAT    AND    HIGH    MOUNTAIN — ^THE  HOLT    JERUSALEM — 
DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  CITY. 

Scene:    The  New  Earth.     (Second  Episode.) 

Constructing  the  Greek  cardinal,  translated  one^  as  an 
ordinal,  which  is  sometimes  allowable,  the  angel,*  by 
whom  the  apostle  was  shown  the  harlot  in  the  wilderness, 
now  takes  him  {in  spirit)  to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  to 
show  him  "  the  Bride,  the  Lamb's  Wife,  that  great  city,  the 
holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from  God," 
(Rev.  21  :  9,  10.)  This,  we  must  notice,  is  not  something 
in  addition,  or  subsequent  to  what  the  apostle  saw  before, 
(Rev.  21  :  2.)  The  Bride,  or  Wife,  and  the  city,  are  the 
same,  and  the  descent  is  the  same ;  both  figures  of  the 
same  divine  plan,  or  covenant,  of  redemption,  of  which  we 
are  now  to  have  an  expanded  symboHcal  description,  and 
of  which  the  descent  from  heaven  is  equivalent  to  the 
revelation. 

There  was  no  place  for  the  New  Jerusalemf  in  the  old 
earth,  (or  platform  of  works,)  Babylon  occupying  its  place 
there;  or,  which  is  nearly  the  same  thing,  the  Gentiles 
had  possession  of  the  holy  city.    It  was  discerned  only 

*  §  481. 

t  So  we  may  say  also  of  the  tabernacle  of  God :  in  the  nature  of  things  the 
tabernacle  of  God  conkl  not  be  with  the  men,  or  inhabiters,  of  the  old  earth, 


THE    HOLY   CITY.  353 

under  a  Gentile  aspect;  it  was  Jerusalem  in  bond- 
age with  her  children,  (Gal.  4  :  25.)  As  the  Wife,  or 
Bride,  of  the  Lamb,  the  same  covenant  (persecuted  by  the 
accuser)  was  driven  into  the  wilderness ;  being  supersed- 
ed by  the  harlot,  the  image  of  the  beast,  then  regarded 
by  the  dwellers  of  the  old  earth  (under  the  influence  of  the 
false  prophet)  as  the  proper  object  of  worship.  But  as 
she  was  represented  of  old,  corning  out  of  the  wilderness 
leaning  upon  her  beloved,  (Cant.  8  :  5,)  she  that  was  driven 
into  the  wilderness  by  the  persecution  of  the  dragon  is 
now  seen  descending  from  God  out  of  heaven,  recognized 
as  the  true  Wife,  and  thus  identified  as  one  with  the  Lamb ; 
the  new  earth  and  the  New  Jerusalem  proving  to  be  the 
Hephzibah  and  the  Beulah  of  the  prophet,  (Is.  49  :  21 ; 
54  :  1 ;  62  :  4.)  The  woman  bringing  forth  the  man-child, 
(Rev.  12  :  1,)  is  now  manifested  to  be  also  the  Wife  of  the 
Lamb,  corresponding  with  a  prediction  of  the  same  pro- 
phet, (Is  62  :  5  ;)  aU  the  figures  tending  to  show  that  the 
object  of  peculiar  delight  to  Jehovah,  as  repeatedly  set 
forth  in  the  Old  Testament,  is  his  own  plan,  or  purpose  of 
mercy — his  covenant  of  grace. 

The  apostle  in  spirit  saw  the  day  of  the  Lord,  (Rev. 
1:10;)  in  spirit  he  saw  the  throne  of  God  and  Him 
that  sat  upon  it,  with  aU  that  was  afterwards  exhibited, 
whether  pertaining  to  the  earthly  or  heavenly  scenes ;  in 
spirit  he  was  carried  away  into  the  wilderness  to  witness 
the  judgment  of  the  mother  of  harlots ;  and  in  spirit^  he 
is  now  taken  to  a  great  high  mountain  to  see  the  Bride,  the 
Lamb's  Wife,  which  he  finds  to  be  no  other  than  the  holy 
Jerusalem ;  or,  as  she  was  before  called,  the  New  Jerusa^ 

*  §  482. 


354  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

lem ;  that  Jerusalem  which,  according  to  the  apostle  Paul, 
is  the  mother  of  the  followers  of  Christ. 

This  great  and  high  mountain,  apparently,  corresponds 
with  Mount  Zion ;  as  seeing  the  Lamb,  with  his  144,000 
elements  of  divine  revelation,  upon  the  Mount  Zion, 
singing  the  song  which  could  be  learned  by  no  other, 
is  a  figure  nearly  equivalent  to  seeing  the  Bride  of  the 
Lamb,  on  the  great  and  high  mountain,  as  the  New  Jeru- 
salem. To  this  mount  there  seems  to  be  a  typical  reference 
in  the  account  given  of  the  substitution  of  the  ram  for  the 
child  of  the  patriarch,  (Gen.  22  :  14,)  and  to  this  mount 
there  is  a  still  plainer  reference  in  the  cheering  assurance 
of  the  apostle  Paul,  (Heb.  12  :  22.) 

As  the  literal  city  of  Jerusalem  had  its  site  upon  the 
earthly  Mount  Zion,  so  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  rests 
upon  the  unchangeable  mind  of  Jehovah — ^the  mount  that 
can  not  be  removed.  It  is  from  this  stand-point  of  divine 
sovereignty,  that  God's  purpose  of  grace  is  to  be  viewed. 
It  is  this  that  gives  stability  to  the  city  of  God,  the  holy 
place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High,  (Ps.  46  :  4.) 
Opposite  to  this  was  the  site  of  Babylon;  the  many 
waters  upon  which  she  rested  symbolizing  the  instability 
of  the  principles  upon  which  that  mystery  depended. 

Babylon  in  her  glory  was  seen  in  a  wilderness  on  the 
earth,  arrayed  in  the  decorations  of  the  legal  tabernacle. 
The  holy  Jerusalem  is  seen  descending  from  God  out  of 
heaven,*  arrayed  in  the  hght  of  divine  righteousness,  cor- 
responding with  the  white  raiment  of  the  Bride ;  the  same 
divine  righteousness  being  summed  up  in  the  figure  of  the 
tabemable  of  God,  which  as  a  tent  is  spread  over  all  those 

*  As  a  free  gift  immediately  from  God. 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  355 

who  come  under  it  for  shelter,  corresponding  with  the 
protection  afforded  by  the  right  arm  of  Jehovah's  right- 
eousness ;  and,  as  it  is  said  of  Christ  himself,  (the  imper- 
sonation of  this  righteousness,)  "to  those  that  beheve 
he  is  precious,"  so  the  array  of  the  bridal  city  appeared 
to  the  apostle  as  the  Hght  of  a  stone  most  precious. 

The  comparison  of  light  to  that  of  stone^  or  rocJc^  such 
as  we  might  suppose  a  rock  of  the  purest  quartz,  is  anoth- 
er indication  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  substratum  of  this  im- 
agery— ^the  elect,  precious  comer-stone,  (1  Peter  2  :  6,  7,) 
— the  rock  yielding  its  life-givuig  stream  when  struck  by 
the  minister  of  the  law,  (IsTum.  20  :  11 ;)  a  rock,  to  the 
shadow  of  which  in  a  weary  land,  the  man  Jesus  is  pro- 
phetically compared,  (Is.  32  :  2.)  Such  is  the  righteous- 
ness of  God,  imputed  through  Christ  to  the  disciple ;  that 
righteousness  for  which  Paul  was  ready  to  suffer  the  loss 
of  aU  things,  (Phil.  3  :  8,  9.) 

The  city  had  also  the  glory  of  God* — ^that  display  of 
goodness,  we  may  presume,  which  was  made  to  pass  be- 
fore the  Hebrew  lawgiver,  when  he  desired  to  see  the 
glory  of  God,  (Ex.  33  :  18.) 

K  the  holy  city  represented  the  aggregate  of  Christian 
disciples,  and  her  light  their  righteousness,  or  moral  perfec- 
tion, the  glory  would  be  theirs,  and  not  that  of  God ;  but 
the  righteousness  of  the  new  covenant  is  God's  righteous- 
ness, and  the  glory  of  the  rich  provision  his  alone ;  the 
disciple  finding  in  this  covenant,  as  in  a  city  or  tabernacle, 
his  safety  and  his  refuge. 

The  wall  of  the  cityf  was  great  and  high,  correspond- 
ing with  the  means  of  protection  against  the  penalty  of 

*  §  488.  t  §  484. 


356  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

the  broken  law  afforded  by  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ ;  especially  in  the  interposition  of  his  divine  right- 
eousness for  the  justification  of  the  disciple ;  a  distin- 
guishing feature  of  that  sacrifice.  In  keeping  with  this 
representation,  we  find  afterwards  the  material  of  the  wall 
to  be  the  same  precious  jasper  stone  as  that  to  which  the 
light  of  the  city  is  compared :  as  it  is  said  in  allusion  to 
this  gracious  provision,  "  Salvation  will  God  appoint  for 
walls  and  bulwarks,"  and  in  reference  to  the  covenant 
here  represented  as  a  city,  "  Her  walls  are  salvation  and 
her  gates  praise."  (Is.  26  :  1 ;  60  :  18.) 

The  city  had  twelve  gates,*  and  at  the  gates  twelve 
angels  ;  upon  which  gates  were  written  the  names  of  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  Messengers  being  put  here  for  the 
message  conveyed  by  them,  the  twelve  angels  represent 
collectively  the  Old  Testament  revelation;  and  as  the  name 
of  a  person  written  upon  a  document  is  a  certificate  of  its 
genuineness,  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribesf  here  symbol- 
ize the  testimony  of  the  first  dispensation  to  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  new  covenant  with  the  hidden  purport 
of  the  Old  Testament  revelation.  The  angels,  as  judges 
and  keepers  of  the  gates,  serve  as  criteria  by  which  the 
principles  or  elements  entering  into  the  composition  of 
the  new  covenant  are  to  be  judged.  The  old  dispensa- 
tion in  this  way  serves  as  a  corps  de  garde  at  the  gates  of 

*  §  485. 

t  The  names  of  the  tribes  ar^  not  given  here,  but  we  presume  that,  as  in 
the  sealing  of  the  144,000,  the  name  of  Manasseh  (forgetfulness)  is  substi- 
tuted for  that  of  Dan,  (judgment ;)  so,  in  respect  to  the  names  of  the  apos- 
tles afterwards  mentioned,  we  may  take  for  granted  the  name  Matthias 
(the  free  gift  of  God)  to  be  substituted  for  that  of  Iscariot,  (one  that  receives 
or  serves  for  a  recompense.)     See  Acts  1  :  26. 


THE   HOLY    CITY.  357 

the  new.  The  number,  perhaps,  is  no  otherwise  important 
than  as  symboHcal  of  the  whole  of  that  which  is  represent- 
ed ;  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes,  with  the  gates,  being 
put  for  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  revelation,*  as  the 
names  of  the  twelve  apostles  are  put  for  the  whole  purport 
of  the  New  Testament. 

The  city  is  described  as  lying  fom*  square,  with  three 
gates  on  each  side,  facing  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth ; 
symbolizing  apparently  the  universaUty  of  this  provision 
of  sovereign  grace,  as  it  corresponds  with  the  design  of 
Him  who  "  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,"  without  dis- 
tinction of  nation  or  parentage.  As  it  is  said  also  in  a  more 
mystic  sense,  they  shall  come  from  the  east  and  from  the 
west,  from  the  north  and  from  the  south,  and  shall 
sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  (Luke  13  :  29.)  The 
holy  city  and  that  kingdom  may  not  signify  precisely  the 
same  thing,  but  they  bear  as  near  a  relation  as  the  con- 
stitution of  a  country  (exhibiting  the  privileges  it  affords, 
and  the  principles  upon  which  it  is  governed]^  does  to  the 
reign  of  the  sovereign.  The  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
Lamb  are  in  the  city,  (Rev.  22  ;  3,)  whence  we  infer  that 
there  Ood  reigns^  and  where  he  reigns,  his  kingdom 
must  be. 

With  this  view  we  say,  the  crisis  manifested  corresponds 
with  that  announced  by  the  loud  voice  in  heaven,  (Rev. 
12  :  10,)  and  the  great  voices  in  heaven  on  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  trumpet,  (Rev.  11  :  15.) 

The  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations,!  (apparent- 

*  As  we  ma;y  infer  from  the  language  of  Paul,  (2  Tim.  3 :  15,)  the  sub- 
stance of  the  Gospel  must  have  been  contained  in  the  Scriptures  extant  even 
in  the  time  of  the  youth  of  Timothy. 

+  §  486. 


358  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

ly  bastions,)  bearing  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of 
the  Lamb,  equivalent  to  the  testimony  of  the  Gospel  reve- 
lation (as  a  whole)  to  the  importance  of  the  wall.  As  if  the 
apostles  had  affixed  their  signatures  to  a  document  that 
the  imputable  righteousness  of  God  in  Christ  is,  to  his  plan 
of  salvation,  as  a  wall  is  to  a  city ;  the  same  divine  provi- 
sion being  elsewhere  compared  to  the  cuirass  (breast- 
plate) of  a  warrior,  and  the  festal  robe  of  a  guest. 

The  angel  attending  the  apostle,  is  here  said  to  have  a 
golden  reed*  to  measure  the  city,  its  gates,  and  its  wall. 
The  golden  reed  must  be  a  standard,  or  measure,  of  divine 
truth.  On  a  former  occasion,  (Rev.  11 :1,)  a  reed  was 
given  the  apostle  to  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the 
altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein.  That  admeasure- 
ment, however,  does  not  appear  to  have  been  made,  the 
reed  being  a  human  standard,  which,  with  human  power 
only,  must  be  wholly  unequal  to  the  object,  as  we  then 
noticed ;  but  now  the  standard  is  divine,  and  the  power 
to  measure  something  more  than  human  ;  accordingly  here 
the  work  is  performed. 

The  city  lieth  four  squaref — the  site  is  as  broad  as  it  is 
long;  apparently  12,000  furlongs  by  12,000  furlongs,  giving 
the  symbohc  number  of  144,  besides  the  immense  value  of 
the  decimal  figures,  symbolizing  infinity.  The  initial  144 
corresponds  with  that  of  the  sealed  ones,  and  directs  our 
attention  to  the  same  elements  of  revelation.  The  quad- 
rangular form  of  the  site,  besides  being  symbolical  of  per- 
fection, may  be  designed  to  direct  our  attention  to  a 
corresponding  type,  that  of  the  garden  of  Eden  with  its 
four  rivers,  and  its  tree  of  life,  as  well  as  its  tree  of  know- 

*  §  487.  t  §  488. 


THE   HOLY    CITY.  359 

ledge ;  but  besides  the  site,  the  measurement  of  the  city  is 
described  as  that  of  a  cube^  equally  a  perfect  form,  but  in- 
dicating also  the  correspondence  of  the  city  with  an  ark, 
or  position  of  refiige.  The  length,  and  the  breadth,  and 
the  height  being  equal,  applying  the  initial  number  twelve  to 
each,  the  design  may  be  an  allusion  to  the  testimony  of  the 
patriarchs,  Moses  and  the  prophets,  and  the  apostles,* 
while  the  immensity  of  the  decimal  amount,  resulting  from 
the  interchangeable  action  of  these  sides,  (or  witnesses,) 
corresponds  with  what  is  said  of  the  dimensions  of  the  love 
of  God  as  passing  knowledge,  (Eph.  3  :  18.) 

The  wall  measured  144  cubits,  (in  height,)  "the 
measure,"  it  is  said,  "  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel ;"  the 
measure  of  a  human  fore-arm  being  that  from  which  the 
cubit-figure  is  taken ;  the  figure  itself  is  that  of  the  angel's 
fore-arm,  a  symbolic  cubit.  The  principal  feature  of  the 
expression  is  the  number  144,  referring  to  the  testimony 
of  the  Old  and  N'ew  Testament — ^the  144,000  sealed  ones, 
or  the  combined  development  afibrded  by  the  twelve  patri- 
archs, and  twelve  apostles,f  put  for  the  old  and  new  dis- 
pensations. 

The  material  of  this  wall  wasj  jasper^  already  noticed 
as  the  stone  so  clear  and  precious,  which  gave  to  the  city 
its  splendid  appearance ;  its  wall  of  divine  righteousness 
corresponding  with  the  array  of  the  Bride.  As  the  Wife 
of  the  Lamb  could  not  have  been  made  ready  for  the 

*  The  typical  history  and  institutions  of  the  Israelites,  the  prophecies,  and 
the  apostolic  writings,  constituting  the  three  sources  of  testimony  to  God's 
plan  of  salvation. 

t  The  circumference  of  the  city,  or  length  of  the  wall,  is  a  figure  of  its 
extent — the  height  of  the  wall  is  a  figure  of  its  sufficiency. 
§  489. 


360  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

marriage-feast  without  her  jQne  and  white  raiment,  (Rev. 
19:8,)  so  the  covenant  of  grace  could  not  be  manifested 
as  a  city  of  refuge,  without  its  wall  of  jasper  stone,  clear 
and  precious;  the  protecting  power  of  divine  righteous- 
ness being  the  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  new  dispen- 
sation. 

The  city  itself  was  of  pure  gold^  Hke  unto  clear  glass  or 
crystal,  translucent^  exhibiting  its  own  purity,  as  a  trans- 
lucent body  must  show  any  speck  of  foreign  matter  con- 
tained in  it.  Gold  we  have  before  defined  to  be  a  figure 
of  truth ;  the  city  accordingly  represents  a  system  or  mys- 
tery of  perfect  truth.  So  the  economy,  or  divine  dispen- 
sation of  salvation  by  grace  is  true  and  precious,  and  bears 
testimony  of  its  own  purity,  the  more  it  is  examined.  As 
an  economy  of  grace^  it  is  pure  from  every  principle  in- 
consistent with  its  purport  :*  there  is  no  admixture  in  it  of 
any  legal  element ; "  otherwise,"  as  the  apostle  says,  "  grace 
would  be  no  more  grace."  So  Jesus  Christ,  the  imper- 
sonation of  this  covenant,  is  declared  to  be  full  of  grace 
and  truth,  (John  1  :  14.) 

The  foundationsf  of  the  waU  of  the  city  are  described 
as  garnished  with  aU  manner  of  precious  stones,  of  which 
the  number,  however,  is  limited  to  twelve,  each  having  its 
peculiar  characteristic. 

Whatever  the  variety  of  the  appellations  may  be,  we 
must  consider  the  material  of  all  as  that  of  the  same  crys- 
taline  rocJc^  differing  only  as  they  reflect  different  rays 
of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  or  as  they  reflect  those  rays 

*  If  it  appear  otherwise,  the  fault  is  not  in  the  material,  but  in  the  sight 
or  medium  of  vision  of  those  who  contemplate  it. 

t  §  490. 


'0 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  361 

differently.  The  wall  itself  is  of  jasper^  as  already  noticed, 
that  divine  righteousness  which  gives  its  splendidly  lucid 
appearance  to  the  city ;  and  the  garniture  of  the  first  foun- 
dation is  of  the  same  material.  We  have  in  another  work* 
suggested  a  meaning  to  be  associated  with  each  of  the  seve- 
ral stones  enumerated,  but  must  here  content  ourselves  with 
considering  them  in  the  aggregate,  as  intended  to  illustrate 
the  various  aspects  in  which  this  inestimable  wall  of  sal- 
vation is  to  be  contemplated.  We  are  assured  that  "  other 
foundation  can  no  one  lay  than  that  which  is  laid,  which 
is  Jesus  Christ,"  who  is  preeminently  the  precious,  elect 
stone — precious  especially  to  those  that  believe.  What- 
ever be  the  illustrations,  therefore,  they  must  accord  with 
this  truth. 

The  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls,f  every  several 
gate  was  of  one  pearl,  and  all  the  gates  were  of  the  same 
pearl.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  (as  the  way  of  salvation) 
is  compared  to  a  pearl  of  great  price,  to  obtain  which,  one 
who  appreciates  its  value,  will  part  with  all  that  he  pos- 
sesses. Christ  is  this  way ;  he  is  the  door  and  the  gate.  It 
is  only  in  and  through  him,  that  the  disciple  can  enjoy  the 
privileges  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption;  so,  whatever 
may  be  the  representation,  or  symbohcal  view  of  that  plan, 
the  principles  entering  into  it  must  accord-  with  this 
truth.J 

These  twelve  gates  were  under  the  surveillance  of  twelve 
angels  with  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes,  (judges,  in 
keeping  with  the  Eastern  custom  of  holding  courts  at  the 
gate  or  gates  of  the  city,)  indicating  collectively  the  action 

*  §§  491-497.  \  %%  498,  499.  X  §§  500,  501. 

16 


362  THE  SEALED   BOOK. 

of  the  Old  Testament  revelation  as  a  standard  of  judgment 
in  the  admission  of  the  principles  of  the  New  Testament, 
as  in  the  relation  borne  by  the  first  to  the  last.  Per- 
haps there  may  be  also  an  aUusion  to  so  many  typical  re- 
presentations of  the  new  covenant  to  be  fomid  in  the  old 
dispensation. 

The  street  of  the  city  was  of  pure  gold,*  transparent  as 
glass — perfectly  pure,  and  manifesting  its  purity  by  its 
transparency.  This  was  before  said  of  the  city  itself,  ap- 
plied, as  we  suppose  it  to  be,  to  the  buildings  of  the  city.  By 
the  street  we  may  understand  the  area  upon  which  all  the 
buildings,  figuratively  speaking,  are  erected,  or,  as  we  may 
term  it,  the  platform  of  the  city ;  corresponding  with  the 
platform  of  pure  truth,  upon  which  all  the  principles  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  depend;  truth  itself  being  the  sub- 
stratum of  God's  plan  of  salvation,  and  such  truth  as  will 
manifest  its  own  purity,  when  seen  in  its  true  light.  As 
Jesus  Christ  (the  Lamb)  declared  himself  to  be  the  truth, 
(John  14  :  6,)  so  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  (the  Lamb's 
Wife)  manifests  itself  to  be  the  truth,  the  two  being  one. 
As  the  plan  is  to  him  that  performs  the  work,  so  the  city 
is  to  the  Lamb  :  both  represent  the  same  truth ;  as  we  may 
say  also  of  the  Will  (Word)  of  God,  and  of  Him  who  offer- 
ed himself  to  perform  that  will.  In  both  the  way  of  sal- 
vation is  to  be  contemplated  as  the  same  precious  truth. 

The  city  has  no  need  of  a  temple  ;f  it  is  itself  a  temple  : 
for,  as  it  is  said,  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb 
constitute  its  temple.  We  have  now  a  development  of 
the  identity  of  the  Lamb  with  the  Almighty,  which  has 
been  heretofore  more  a  matter  of  inference.    There  is 

*  S  502.  +  §  503. 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  363 

here  but  one  temple  spoken  of,  and  the  Lord  God  and  the 
Lamb  are  alike  and  together  that  one  temple.  The  city, 
as  the  Lamb's  Wife,  is  identic  with  the  Lamb,  and  thus  in 
its  character  of  a  temple  it  is  identified  with  God  and  the 
Lamb  ;  accordingly  the  Word  of  God,  the  Zamb  of  God, 
and  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  constitute  one  and  the  same 
temple. 

Jesus  Christ  being  unquestionably  the  Xamb,  to  come 
unto  God  in  his  name,  to  do  aU  things  in  his  name,  and  by 
or  in  him  to  find  access  to  the  throne  of  grace,  are  dif- 
ferent figures  of  the  same  worship  in  spirit  and  in  truth, 
of  which  this  New  Jerusalem  temple  symbolizes  the  pro- 
vision. Under  the  old  dispensation,  the  Israelite  looked 
to  the  temple  in  Jerusalem  as  a  pledge  for  the  acceptance 
of  his  petitions,  (1  Kings  8  :  30 ;)  under  the  new  dispen- 
sation, the  Christian  looks  to  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and 
the  Lamb,  as  they  are  revealed  in  the  covenant  of  grace, 
for  the  assurance  that  his  prayer  of  faith  wiU  not  be  disre- 
garded. 

"  The  city  had  no  need*  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon 
to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the 
Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  By  this  term  light  we  under- 
stand, as  we  have  done  throughout,  divine  righteousness,  or 
divine  moral  perfection — the  same  light  as  that  in  which  the 
city  appeared  when  first  seen  descending  from  heaven : 
"  her  light  like  unto  a  stone  most  precious,  even  Hke  a 
jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal."  The  figures  of  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness,  and  of  the  moon  as  the  harbinger  of  that  Sun, 
(Rev.  12  :  1,)  are  now  dropped.  As  the  Lord  God  and  the 
Lamb  constitute  the  temple  of  the  city,  so  they  constitute 

*  f;  501. 


364  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

its  light,  or  righteousness.  In  effect,  the  city  (the  Lamb's 
Wife)  and  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  (the  Lamb)  are  two 
figures  of  the  same  thing. 

The  phrase,  "  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof,"  would  be 
better  rendered  here,  as  it  is  afterwards,  (Rev.  22  :  5,)  the 
candle  thereof.  As  the  development  progresses,  the  light 
of  the  Lamb  is  merged  in  the  light  of  the  Lord  God,  as 
seen  at  the  close.  The  glory  of  God  is  his  goodness^  mani- 
fested in  the  work  of  redemption,  and  that  goodness  is 
exhibited  in  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ ;  thus, 
the  glory  of  God,  involving  the  work  of  the  Lamb,  con- 
stitutes the  divine  imputable  righteousness,  or  light  of  the 
city.  The  nations  (principles)  that  walk  in  the  light  of 
the  city,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  (leading  principles) 
bringing  then-  glory  and  honor  into  it,  must  be  the  nations 
and  kings  of  the  new  earth,  for  the  old  earth  and  the  old 
heaven  have  passed  away,  the  kings  of  the  old  earth  and 
their  armies  having  been  destroyed  by  the  sword  of  the 
Word,  and  the  nations  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  old  earth 
having  been  also  destroyed  hj  fire  from  God  out  of  heaven. 
The  qualification  in  our  common  version  "  of  them  that 
are  saved"  is  accordingly  not  called  for,  and  is  not  found 
in  the  most  approved  editions  of  the  Greek.  These  na- 
tions (Gentiles)  and  kings  we  consider,  as  heretofore,  doc- 
trinal elements  and  ruling  principles  of  the  new  state  of 
things ;  the  expression  being  equivalent  to  a  representa- 
tion of  the  conformity  and  subservience  of  all  of  these  prin- 
ciples to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  symbolized  here  as 
the  holy  city ;  corresponding  with  the  crisis  alluded  to  by 
Paul,  when  all  things  are  manifested  to  be  subject  to  God 
alone,  (1  Cor,  15  :  28.)     God  does  not  give  his  glory  to 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  365 

another,  (Is.  42  :  8,  and  48  :  11,)  neither  can  the  city,  of 
which  the  Lord  God  Ahnighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the 
temple  and  the  Hght,  be  dependent  upon  the  nations,  or 
kings  of  the  earth,  for  its  honor  or  glory,  but  their  honor 
and  glory  may  be  manifested  to  be  subordinate  to  it. 

The  Gentiles  or  nations*  (principles)  derived  from  the 
letter  of  revelation,  may  be  said  to  walk  in  the  hght  of  the 
city,  which  hght  is  that  just  described,  when,  in  the  new 
state  of  things,  and  as  a  consequence  of  the  new  medium 
of  vision,  they  conform  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation 
through  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ.  If,  however, 
the  kings  of  the  new  earth  be  legal  kings,  seen  imder  the 
new  aspect,  they  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  the  city, 
when  it  is  "  manifested  that  the  law  is  the  leader^^  or,  as  it 
is  said,  "  the  school-master"  to  bring  the  disciple  to  Christ : 
the  law  is  "  magniJfied  and  made  honorable,"  when  this 
ultimate  design  of  it  is  exhibited.  Or  if  we  take  these  kings 
of  the  new  earth  to  be  principles  of  the  new  rule  of  con- 
duct, resulting  from  a  gratefiil  sense  of  the  blessings  of 
salvation,  (corresponding  with  the  promise  of  the  new 
heart  and  new  spirit,  (Ezek.  36  :  26,)  alluded  to  by  Paul  as 
an  accompaniment  of  the  new  covenant,  (Heb.  10:16,) 
they  may  be  said  to  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  the 
city,  as  the  glory  of  an  action  performed  from  a  sense  of 
gratitude  for  a  favor  received,  belongs  properly  to  the 
benefactor  by  whom  that  favor  was  bestowed. 

The  gates  of  the  city  are  continually  open,f  for  there  is 
no  night  there.  The  tribute  spoken  of  may  therefore  be 
unceasingly  brought  into  the  city.  The  gates  are  not 
shut  or  locked  to  exclude  an  adversary  of  any  kind,  for 

*  §  505.  t  §  506. 


366  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

the  angels  before  described  as  judges  at  tbe  gates  are  also 
the  guard,  and  there  is  no  other  entrance  than  that  by 
these  gates,  all  of  one  pearl,  No  prmciple  or  element 
of  doctrine  can  be  admitted  but  such  as  is  compatible  with 
the  character  of  this  one  pearl — Christ,  the  gate,  or  door, 
the  strait  and  narrow  way  of  eternal  life.  With  this  provi- 
sion, while  the  Gentile  principles  of  the  new  earth  are 
made  subservient  to  the  glory  of  the  new  covenant,  no 
element  of  doctrine  is  admitted  into  it  "  that  defileth,  or 
worketh  abomination,*  or  a  lie ;"  the  principles  admitted 
being  those,  and  those  only,  which  are  written  in  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life,  corresponding  with  the  view  we  have 
taken  of  the  contents  of  that  book  of  life  in  commenting 
upon  Rev.  20  :  15. 

As  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  is  a  figure  equivalent  to  the 
New  Testament  revelation,  we  have  here  the  double 
guard  provided  against  the  admission  of  hostile  principles 
into  a  correct  view  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption.  The 
gates  with  the  names  of  the  tribes  and  the  angels,  consti- 
tute a  tribunal  equal  to  that  of  "  the  law  and  the  testi- 
mony" appealed  to  by  the  prophet,  (Is.  8  :  20;)  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life  constituting  the  standard,  or  rule,  of 
judgment.  To  these  watchmen  upon  the  walls,  and  to  the 
continual  performance  of  their  duty,  ("  day  and  night,") 
as  well  as  to  the  elements  of  divine  revelation,  under  the 
appellation  of  remembrancers  of  Jehovah,  there  seems  to 

■  The  term  "  defileth,"  signifies,  according  to  the  Greek,  mahing  com- 
moTiy  as  opposed  to  sanctifying,  or  setting  apart,  in  the  Levitical  sense ; 
principles  working  abomination,  are  such  as  enter  into  the  composition  of 
the  harlot's  cup — mixed  views  of  means  of  propitiation. 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  367 

be  a  reference  in  the  exhortation  of  the  prophet,  as  we  ap 
prehend,  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem,  (Is.  62  :  6,  7.)* 

We  are  not  to  suppose  the  exhibition  here  to  be  that 
of  something  subsequent  to  the  results  of  the  judgment 
scene,  as  if  those  already  condemned  to  the  lake  of  fire 
(Rev.  20  :  15)  were  now  prohibited  from  entering  the 
city,  or  as  if  the  new  heaven  and  earth  had  still  some  hos- 
tile elements  against  which  a  protection  was  required. 
The  two  representations  are  two  figures  of  the  same  thing : 
both  represent  the  fate  of  principles  not  compatible  with 
the  divine  plan  of  salvation.  In  one  they  are  excluded 
fi-om  the  city,  in  the  other  they  are  doomed  to  the  ever- 
lasting torture  of  the  revealed  word :  in  both  the  criteria 
of  judgment  are  the  contents  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life— 
the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  new  heaven 
and  the  new  earth  is  a  figure,  more  comprehensive  and 
general,  but  otherwise  equivalent  to  that  of  the  holy  city ; 
as  the  old  earth,  with  its  kings  and  beasts,  and  beast's 
kingdom,  is  a  symbolical  parallel  with  the  harlot  city. 

That  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  or  the  book  of  the  life  of 
the  Lamb,  (Gr.,)  and  the  holy  city,  are  two  figures  of  the 
same  divine  purpose,  appears  from  the  standard  of  judg- 
ment here  prescribed.  As  there  is  nothing  in  the  city 
that  is  not  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  so  we  may  presume 
every  thing  in  that  book  of  life  is  to  be  found  in  the  city. 
The  two  figures,  however,  afford  different  illustrations. 

*  "  I  have  set  watchmen  upon  thy  walls,  O  Jerusalem,  which  shall 
never  hold  their  peace,  day  nor  night ;  ye  that  are  the  remembrancers  (mar- 
gin) of  Jehovah,  keep  not  silence,  and  give  him  no  rest  till  he  make  Jerusa- 
lem a  praise  in  the  earth." 


368  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

The  city  is  of  gold — it  is  a  composition  of  pure  truth  ;* 
every  thing  in  the  city  must  correspond  with  the  truth, 
"  as  the  truth  is  in  Jesus,"  (Eph.  4  :  21.)  The  distinguish- 
ing characteristic  of  the  book  of  the  life  of  the  Lamb, 
is  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  New  Jeru- 
salem, an  opposite  of  the  trading  city  of  Babylon,  affords 
an  illustration  of  the  free  gift  of  salvation ;  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life  sets  forth  the  manner  in  which  this  free  gift  is 
bestowed.f 


Thus  far,  the  glory  and  strength  of  the  holy  city  have 
been  described ;  its  buildings,  its  walls,  its  gates,  its  tem- 
ple, its  guards  and  safeguards,  its  rule  of  admission  of  j^rin- 
ciples  of  truth,  and  of  exclusion  of  all  elements  or  princi- 
ples incompatible  with  its  peculiar  character.  We  have 
now  to  contemplate  its  abundant  provision  for  eternal 
life — symboHcaUy,  its  stores  of  food,  of  water,  of  medi- 
cine, of  light,  and  the  character  of  its  figurative  citizens  or 
servants. 

Here  (Rev.  22  :  1)  the  apostle  is  shown  first  (as  that 
of  greatest  importance)  "  a  pure  river  of  the  water  J  of  hfe, 
clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God 
and  the  Lamb."  In  the  prediction  of  the  elder ^  concern- 
ing the  multitude  that  stood  before  the  throne,  (Rev. 

*  Nothing  that  maketh  a  lie  (no  principle  or  construction  originating  a 
false  doctrine)  can  be  admitted  into  it. 

t  §§  507-509.  X  %  510. 


THE    HOLY    CITY.  369 

7  :  15-1*7,)  it  was  said  of  them  that  they  should  hunger  no 
more,  neither  thirst  any  more,  and  that  the  Lamb  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  should  feed  them  and  lead  them  unto 
hving  fountains  of  waters,  and  God  should  wipe  all  tears 
from  their  eyes ;  and  this,  as  a  consequence  of  coming  out 
of  great  tribulation  and  washing  their  robes  ia  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  By  the  great  voice  from  heaven  (Rev. 
21  :  3,  4)  we  learn  that  these  benefits  are  the  result  of  the 
passing  away  of  former  things.  In  the  first  annunciation, 
(Rev.  7  :  15,)  it  was  said,  "He  that  sitteth  on  the  throne 
shall  dwell  amongst  them ;"  in  the  second,  this  dwelling 
of  God  amongst  men,  is  set  forth  as  an  eftect  of  the  de- 
scent of  the  New  Jerusalem  (the  tabernacle  of  God)  from 
heaven.  We  have  now  the  same  benefits  and  advantages 
illustrated  in  the  description  of  the  ample  provision,  or 
stores  of  the  holy  city,  the  tabernacle  of  God. 

This  holy  city,  the  New  Jerusalem,  is  declared  to  be 
the  Lamb's  Wife ;  as  such,  therefore,  the  city  is  one  with 
the  Lamb,  corresponding  with  the  mystery  of  the  mar- 
riage tie.  The  provision  of  the  "  pure  river  of  the  water  of 
life,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb," 
irrigating,  as  it  were,  the  whole  city,  is  a  figure  equivalent 
to  the  promise  that  the  subjects  of  divine  favor  should 
thirst  no  more,  being  led  hy  the  Lamh  to  fountains  of  liv- 
ing water.  Both  figures  refer  alike  to  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  the  prominent  feature  of  the  divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion symbohzed  by  the  city.  But  here*  we  have  the  fur- 
ther development  that  the  source  of  this  atonement  is  in 
the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  for  which  reason  the 
stream  is  perennial — it  flows  throughout  eternity.    As  the 

*  §  511. 


370  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

purpose,  or  mind,  of  God  is  unchangeable,  so  this  divine 
atonement  is  unceasing  ;  as,  in  other  words,  Christ,  by  his 
vicarious  sacrifice,  ever  liveth^  vu'tually,  to  intercede  for 
his  followers. 

There  is  no  other  source  of  this  water  of  life  but  that 
of  divine  sovereignty,  and  proceeding  directly  from  that 
source,  it  must  be  ever  free  from  the  admixture  of  any 
other  means  of  propitiation  than  that  of  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  represented  alike  by  the  water  of  purification  and 
the  wine  of  the  marriage  feast. 

The  throne  spoken  of  being  designated  as  that  of  God 
and  the  Lamb,  we  have  thus  advanced  another  step  in  the 
unveiling,  by  which  God  and  the  Lamb  are  manifested  to 
be  one  Being.  The  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty  be- 
longing equally  to  both,  the  two  appellations  can  not  be 
considered  otherwise  than  as  those  of  one  and  the  same 
Sovereign.  When  it  is  said,  therefore,  that  "  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes,"  we  may  understand 
that  it  is  by  this  atoning  provision  in  Christ,  emanating 
from  his  perfect  sovereignty,  that  these  tears  are  so  w  iped 
away. 

The  street  of  the  city  was  of  pure  gold.  As  emblematic 
of  truth,  we  take  this  street  to  be  put  for  the  whole  site  or 
platform  of  the  city.  In  the  midst  of  it,  and  on  either  side 
of  the  river,  was  the  tree  of  life,*  bearing  twelve  fruits,  and 
yielding  her  fruit  every  month :  the  implication  is  apparent 
that  wherever  the  street  is,  there  the  river  runs  ;  the  river 
of  life  accordingly  is  to  be  found  everywhere  in  the  midst 
of  this  site  of  gold.  As  the  basis  of  God's  plan  of  salvation 
is  pure  truth,  so  in  every  part  of  this  truth  is  to  be  found 

♦  §  512. 


THE    HOLY    CITY.  371 

the  element  of  the  atoning  merit  of  Christ,  giving  life  to 
the  whole  mystery  or  system.  And,  as  wherever  the 
river  of  the  water  of  life  flows,  the  tree  of  Hfe  is  to  be 
found  on  both  its  sides,  so  wherever  on  this  basis  or  plat- 
form of  divine  truth  the  element  of  atonement  is  perceived, 
there  also  is  exhibited  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Jesue 
Christ,  (the  cross,  or  tree  of  life,)  the  Greek  term  trans- 
lated the  tree,  here  equally  signifying  the  cross  ;  the  cross 
(of  Christ)  being  a  figure  of  that  will  of  God,  which  the 
Son  came  to  do  or  to  fdlfiU. 

The  fruit*  of  the  tree  of  life  must  be  the  righteousnesr- 
or  merits  of  Christ,  represented  by  his  body  offered  upon 
the  cross,  as  upon  an  altar,  and  spoken  of  by  himself  as  the 
bread  of  fife,  and  as  meat  uideed.  The  twelve  fruits  may 
be  put  for  twelve  modes  in  which  this  provision  of  eternal 
life  is  variously  represented,  or,  like  the  twelve  angels, 
twelve  gates,  and  twelve  names  of  tribes,  and  twelve  apos- 
tles, the  figure  may  be  put  for  the  whole  purport  of  divine- 
revelation,  (the  Old  and  New  Testament,)  m  respect  tc 
this  means  of  eternal  life  ;t  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
and  through  Christ,  imputed  to  the  disciple,  beuig  the  only 
means  of  justification,  as  the  atonement  of  Christ  is  the 
only  means  of  reconciliation.  These  both  must  be  involved 
in  each  other ;  so  the  tree  of  Hfe  is  nourished  by  the  river 
of  the  water  of  life,  and  wherever  the  river  proceeds,  the 
tree  of  Hfe  is  to  be  found  vrith  it,  an  inseparable  concomi- 
tant.   As  the  tree  bears  twelve  fruits,  and  yields  her  fruit 

*  'j  513. 

t  This  appears  the  more  probable  as  the  product  of  the  twelve  fruits  mul- 
tiplied by  the  twelve  months,  equals  the  number  144 ;  referring  us  to  what 
is  represented  by  the  sealed  ones. 


372  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

every  month,  she  must  yield  her  fruit  continually — appa- 
rently the  main  purport  of  the  figure.  Thus  as  by  the  con- 
tinual flow  of  the  river  of  hfe  there  is  no  more  thirst,  so  by 
the  continual  supply  of  fruit  from  the  tree  of  hfe  there  is 
no  more  hunger ;  as  it  is  said,  the  Lamb  shall  feed  them, 
and  lead  them  to  fountains  of  Hving  water  ;  whatever  is 
done  by  the  city  (the  Wife)  is  done  by  the  Lamb  (the  hus- 
band,) both  figures  of  the  same  process  or  instrumentahty. 

In  addition  to  this  supply  of  food,  of  drink,  and  of  the 
element  of  purification,  the  leaves  of  the  tree  are  said  to  be 
for  the  heahng  of  the  nations,*  or  Gentiles^  corresponding 
with  the  vision  of  the  river  seen  by  the  prophet,  on  both 
sides  of  which  were  trees  for  meat,  "  whose  leaf,"  it  is  said, 
"  shall  not  fade,  neither  shall  the  fruit  thereof  be  consumed. 
It  shall  briug  forth  new  fruit  according  to  its  months,  and 
the  fruit  thereof  shall  be  for  meat,  and  the  leaf  thereof  for 
medicine."     (Ezek.  47  :  12.)     (See  Appendix  G.) 

The  apostle  Peter  speaks  of  those  who  were  as  sheep 
going  astray,  but  have  been  healed  by  the  stripes  of  Him 
who  bore  their  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree^  (cross.) 
As  these  stripes  were  the  evidences  on  the  cross  of  the 
sufierings  of  Jesus  Christ,  so  the  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life 
may  be  considered  the  evidences  of  the  vicarious  character 
of  the  product  of  that  tree,  indicating  its  true  character  ; 
:is  we  judge  of  a  tree  by  its  fruit,  and  as  the  character  of 
■1  plant  or  tree  is  ordinarily  ascertained  by  its  leaves.  Thus 
"  he  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life  symbolize  elements  of  doc- 
'  rine,  which,  by  exhibiting  the  true  nature  and  virtues  of 
'■•  'le  cross^  rectify  (heal)  the  erroneous  views  (Gentiles)  de- 
i  -ved  from  the  letter  of  revelation  without  due  regard  to 

*  §  514. 


THE    HOLY   CITY.  Si 3 

the  spirit.  By  this  healing  these  nations  (Gentile  ele- 
ments) are  made  to  walk  in  (conform  to)  the  light  (right- 
eousness) of  the  city,  (the  covenant  or  arrangement  of 
grace,)  bringing  their  honor  into  it  by  becoming  subservi- 
ent to  it. 

We  might  make  some  allusion  to  the  shade  afforded  by 
the  unfading  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life  as  a  part  of  its 
healing  qualities,  but  perhaps  this  figure  is  sufficiently 
supplied  by  the  tabernacle  or  city  itself  as  a  dwelling. 
(Is.  4  :  6.) 

"  And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse."*  Under  the  old 
dispensation,  it  was  said,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  con- 
tinueth  not  ia  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
to  do  them."  But  under  the  new  order  of  things,  or  new 
covenant,  of  which  the  holy  city  is  a  symbol,  there  is  no 
room  for  this  curse.  It  is  part  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of 
life  that  Christ  has  assumed  this  curse,  having  offered  him- 
self to  meet  it.  (See  Gal.  3  :  13,  where  the  Greek  word 
rendered  tree  might  better  have  been  translated  cross.f) 

As  where  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  are,  there 
is  no  more  sea,  so  where  the  holy  city  is,  there  is  no  more 
curse — ^two  figures  of  nearly  the  same  purport.  AU  things 
being  made  new,  this  is  part  of  the  renovation.  As  the 
brethren  overcame  the  accuser  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
and  as  the  Lamb  himself  overcame  the  ten  legal  horns,  so 
the  Word  of  God,  or  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace, 
(the  New  Jerusalem,  the  Bride  of  the  Lamb,)  has  aboHsh- 
ed  the  curse  of  the  law. 

*  §  515. 

+  The  Greek  term  primarily  sio^nifies  ivood,  and  is  thence  put  in  our  com- 
mon version  for  staves,  stocks,  tree,  of  which  wood  is  the  material ;  with  the 
same  propriety  it  may  be  rendered  cross,  where  the  sense  requires  it. 


374  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

"And  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb  shall  be  m  it."* 
We  were  before  told  that  the  river,  upon  which  the  city  de- 
pended for  its  life-giving  stream,  took  its  rise  ia  the  throne 
of  God  and  the  Lamb  ;  we  now  learn  that  as  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ  emanates  from  the  attribute  of  divine  sove- 
reignty, so  that  attribute  is  the  predominant  principle  in- 
herent in  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace. 

God  and  the  Lamb  constitute,  as  already  remarked,  the 
same  sovereign  Being.  The  expression  is  not,  the  throne 
of  God  and  the  throne  of  the  Lamb,  as  of  two  thrones — 
there  is  but  one  throne  spoken  of,  and  consequently  but 
one  sovereign  power. 

As  in  the  flowing  of  the  river  of  the  water  of  life  from 
this  source  of  divine  sovereignty,  there  is  the  best  assur- 
ance of  its  perpetuity,  so  the  position  of  the  throne  in  the 
city  symbolizes  most  strongly  the  eternal,  unchangeable 
purpose  of  God's  way  of  salvation,  as  set  forth  under  this 
figure  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  The  picture  corresponds  so 
closely  with  the  description  of  the  Psalmist  that  we  can 
not  but  suppose  an  allusion  to  it  in  the  words,  "  There  is 
a  river  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the  city  of 
God,  the  holy  place  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  Most  High. 
God  is  in  the  midst  of  her  ^  she  shall  not  be  moved."  And 
as  it  is  said  elsewhere  in  allusion  to  the  same  covenant, 
"  I  am  Jehovah,  I  change  not ;  therefore  ye  sons  of  Jacob 
are  not  consumed." 

As  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb  represents  that  of 
one  and  the  same  sovereign  Being,  so  it  is  added  :  "  And 
his  servants  shall  serve  him^  and  they  shall  see  his  face, 
and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads,"  or,  his  name 

*  §  510. 


THE   HOLY   CITY.  375 

being  also  in  their  foreheads.  The  marked  use  of  the  pro- 
noun in  the  singular  number  is  evidently  intended  to  di- 
rect our  attention  to  the  Sovereign  to  be  served  as  one 
Being.  Referring  to  the  enumeration  of  the  144,000  sealed 
ones,  (Rev.  7  :  3,)  we  may  presume  these  servants  to  be  the 
same.  We  saw  them  last  with  the  Lamb  upon  the  Mount 
Zion,  singing  the  song  which  no  one  could  learn,  or  teach, 
or  sing,  but  themselves.*  They  are  now  upon  the  same 
mount — the  great  and  high  mountain  to  which  the  apostle 
was  taken  for  a  sight  of  the  holy  city  ;  but  mstead  of  being 
represented  as  with  the  Lamb,  they  are  here  spoken  of  as 
elements  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  (the  Lamb's  Wife.)  They 
virtually  sing  the  same  song,  but  that  which  was  before 
spoken  of  as  a  song^  is  now  represented  by  a  city^  of  which 
these  companions  of  the  Lamb  constitute  the  population, 
the  sealed  servants  of  God.  The  matter  or  substance  sung 
or  represented  is  the  same  as  the  song  of  David,  (Ps.  122,) 
and  the  vision  of  the  apostle  refers  to  the  same  plan  of 
sovereign  mercy.  So  the  singing  on  the  mount  of  these 
sealed  ones,  and  their  service  in  the  city,  are  parallel  figures 
of  like  import. 

Li  a  certain  sense  all  men  and  things  serve  God,  as  they 
serve  the  purpose  for  which  he  has  created  them ;  but 
more  strictly  speaking,  those  rational  beings  only  can  be 
said  to  serve  God,  who  act  from  a  pure  motive  of  serving 
him,  as  distinguished  from  a  motive  of  serving  themselves, 
or  some  other  created  being ;  a  discrimination  apparently 
alluded  to  by  the  prophet,  as  a  discerning  between  "  the 
righteous   and  the  wicked;    between  him  that  serveth 

*  They  may  have  been  of  those  afterwards  described  as  singing  the  song 
of  Moses  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  but  they  are  not  designated  as  such. 


^^1G  THE   SEALED    BOOK. 

OodandMm  that  serveth  him  not^''  (Mai.  3  :  18  ;)  and 
by  the  apostle  in  describing  the  action  of  the  word  of 
God  as  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  (motives) 
of  the  heart.  Here,  however,  we  think,  in  keeping  with 
the  whole  tenor  of  the  Apocalypse,  the  reference  is  to 
principles  of  doctrine.  Those  principles  of  doctrine  serve 
God,  which  tend  to  glorify  him — to  manifest  his  power 
and  glory,  esj^ecially  in  the  work  of  salvation ;  showing 
that  work  to  be  wholly  his,  and  the  glory  such  as  he 
divides  with  no  one,  (Is.  42  :  8;  48:11.)  The  same  princi- 
ples, thus  operating,  must  also  lay  the  foundation  of  that 
motive  of  gratitude  which  only  can  enable  the  disciple  to 
serve  God  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term. 

These  servants  of  God,  sealed  with  his  name  in  their 
foreheads,  must  be  opposites  of  the  dwellers  upon  the 
earth,  beariag  the  mark  of  the  beast  in  their  foreheads 
and  in  their  hands,  (Rev.  13  :  16.)  As  that  mark  charac- 
terized the  doctriues  and  principles  of  the  adversary  of 
the  cross^  so  the  seal  in  the  forehead  of  the  servants  of 
God  must  characterize  the  doctrines  and  principles  of  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation  of  which  the  cross  is  a  figurative 
appellation. 

The  expression,  "they  shall  see  his  face,"  denotes  the 
favor  vrith  which  these  principles  are  regarded  by  God  him- 
self, corresponding  with  the  pleasure  he  takes  in  his  own 
plan  of  salvation,  (Is.  62  :  4.)  They  are  thus  figuratively 
spoken  of  as  officials  enjoying  the  confidence  of  their  Sove- 
reign, and  as  such,  privileged  to  see  his  face,  (Esther  1  :  14.) 
That  it  is  only  in  such  a  figurative  sense  that  the  face  of 
the  Almighty  can  be  seen,  except  as  manifested  in  Jesns 
Christ,  is  evident   from   his   declaration   to  his    servant 


,.. ,,  THE    HOLY    CITY.  377 

Moses,  (Exodus  33  :  20,)  from  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  (John 
6  :  46,)  and  from  the  language  of  the  apostle,  (1  Tim. 
6  :  16.) 

As  these  servants  (elements  of  doctrine)  are  opposites 
of  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  they  must  he  opposites 
also  of  those  of  every  rank  and  degree,  represented  as  call- 
ing upon  the  rocks  and  mountains  to  hide  them  from  the 
face  of  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  (Rev.  6  :  16.)  As  elements  of  inter- 
pretation, they  must  be  opposites,  also,  of  the  false  prophet, 
who  exercised  his  powerful  influence  in  the  face  of,  or  be- 
fore his  sovereign,  the  ten-horned  beast. 

And  there  shall  be  no  night  there,  and  they  shall  need 
no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun,  for  the  Lord  God  giv- 
eth  them  light,  and  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.* 

As  we  draw  near  the  close  of  the  vision  the  important 
truth  is  more  and  more  developed,  not  only  that  God 
and  the  Lamb  are  one,  but  yet  more,  that  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  alone  is  the  sovereign  God.  The  symbolical 
expressions  for  the  Deity — ^the  Sun  of  Righteousness  and 
the  Lamb — are  now  dropped,  and  God  is  manifested  to 
be  "  all  in  aU."  The  Lamb,  by  his  union  with  the  bridal 
city,  is  manifested  to  be  one  with  that  city,  and  the  city, 
as  the  figure  of  the  mind  or  purpose  of  God,  is  God. 
Thus,  the  Lamb,  the  Son  of  God,  being  one  with  that 
mind  or  purpose,  is  God.  Jesus  Christ,  God  manifest  in 
the  flesh,  is  now,  therefore,  recognized  as  the  mind  or 
purpose  of  God  unveiled. 

It  was  before  said,  "The  city  hath  no  need  of  the 
sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten 

*  §  518. 


378  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  candid  thereof."  It  is  now  said 
that  the  elements  of  the  city  (the  servants  of  God)  have 
no  need  even  of  this  candle^  because  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light ;  not  that  the  light  (righteousness)  of  the 
Lamb  has  ceased,  but  that  the  figure  of  his  light  is  merg- 
ed in  that  of  the  light  of  the  Almighty.  In  other  words, 
the  righteousness  of  the  new  covenant,  or  dispensation, 
which  was  before  contemplated  as  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  is 
now  seen  to  be  the  righteousness  of  God :  corresponding 
with  the  prediction  concerning  "  the  city  of  Jehovah," 
"  the  Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,"  "  The  sun  shall  no 
more  be  thy  light  by  day,  neither  for  brightness  shall  the 
moon  give  light  unto  thee ;  but  Jehovah  shall  be  unto 
thee  an  everlasting  light,  and  thy  God  thy  glory :" 
whence  it  is  said,  also,  (1  Cor.  1  :  30,  31,)  "He  that  glori- 
eth,  let  him  glory  in  the  Lord." 

"  And  they  shall  reign  for  ever."  These  servants,  these 
sealed  ones,  whether  figuratively  kings  or  priests,  are  to 
reignf  for  ever ;  that  is,  as  we  have  considered  them, 
these  principles  or  elements  of  doctrine  entering  into  the 
composition  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace,  are  to  predominate  for  ever  over  all  other  principles 
or  doctrines.  The  light  given  them,  as  we  have  noticed, 
is  the  righteousness  of  God,  of  which  they  are  the  expo- 
nents, and,  as  such  exponents,  they  reign  over  all  doc- 
trinal pretensions  to  merit  or  righteousness;  so  setting 
forth  the    sovereignty    of  Jehovah  as    to    Jibcribe    all 

*  The  same  Greek  word  (lychnos)  is  rendered  ligM,  Rev,  21  :  23,  and  cau- 
dle, Rev.  22  :  5.  Lamp,  or  flambeau,  is  the  proper  signification ;  or  the  obso- 
lete term  link,  derived  from  the  Greek. 

\  §§  519,  520. 


EXPLANATION    OF   THE    ANGEL.  379 

Strength,  and  power,  and  glory,  to  him,  in  the  work  of 
redemption,  as  in  the  works  of  creation  and  providence. 

The  reign  of  these  elements  corresponds  in  kind  with 
the  reign  of  Christ,  "  till  he  hath  put  all  enemies  under  his 
feet."  In  the  exhibition  here,  we  have  seen  all  enemies  put 
under  the  feet  of  Christ,  the  Lamb  and  the  Word.  The 
last  enemy,  death,  (death  and  hell,)  having  gone  into  per- 
dition, the  kingdom,  or  reign,  is  now,  therefore,  to  be  con- 
templated as  given  up  to  "  God,  even  the  Father,"  and 
if  the  servants  here  spoken  of,  reign,  and  are  to  continue 
to  reign  for  ever,  it  is  because  as  they  are  elements  of  the 
holy  city — elements  of  the  unchangeable  mind,  purpose, 
or  Word  of  God,  who  is  now  manifested  as  reigning 
in  them.  As  all  the  principles  of  God's  government  are 
subordinate  to  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  so  the 
reigning  of  these  sealed  servants  of  his  is,  in  fact,  that 
of  his  purposes,  of  which  they  are  the  exponents,  this  cha- 
racteristic being  the  seal  they  bear  in  their  foreheads. 

Explanation  of  the  Angel. 

Here  (Rev.  22  :  6)  the  exhibition  of  the  great  and  high 
mountahi  scene  may  be  contemplated  as  closed.  Return- 
ing from  the  mountain,  as  we  have  imagined  in  the  return 
of  the  same  parties  from  the  wilderness,  (Rev.  17  :  T,)  the 
apostle  may  be  supposed  to  ask  the  question :  "  Who  are 
these  servants  that  are  to  reign  for  ever,  and  who  or  what 
are  the  subjects  they  are  to  reign  over?"  To  which  the 
angel  rephes  :  "  These  the  true  words,"  (sayings.)  They 
are  to  the  holy  city,  what  the  armies  of  heaven  on  white 
horses  are  to  Him  who  is  called  Faithfiil  and  True. 


380  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

The  Greek  word  translated  sayings^  here,  is  the  plural 
of  the  Greek  term  (logos)  rendered  Word  m  the  appella- 
tion given  to  the  rider  of  the  white  horse.  The  same  termf 
is  rendered  by  the  word  doctrine^  (Heb.  6:1,)  and  per 
haps  the  sense  intended,  might  be  better  expressed  here 
by  the  words,  "  These  the  true  and  faithful  doctrines^''  the 
verb  {are)  not  beiag  in  the  original.  As  the  armies 
of  the  Word  of  God  were  opposites  of  those  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  so  we  may  consider  these  sealed  ser- 
vants (sayings  or  doctrines)  opposites  of  the  subjects  of 
the  beast  and  worshippers  of  his  image.  Under  this  con- 
struction it  is  evident  that  the  reigning  of  these  servants 
is  a  figure  of  the  predominance  of  elements  of  truth  over 
those  of  error,  j)articularly  in  reference  to  the  development 
of  God's  plan  of  salvation,  symbolized  by  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem.^  They  reign^  as  principles  of  sovereign  grace 
predominate  over  the  requisitions  of  the  broken  law,  or  as 
the  gift  of  righteousness  predominates  over  the  condemna- 
tion of  the  law,  (Rom.  5  :  17-21  :)  the  reigning  of  grace 
through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life  by  Jesus  Christ,^ 

*  §  521. 

t  This  Greek  term  logos  is  so  variously  rendered  in  our  commop  version 
that  its  meaning  can  be  rightly  apprehended  only  by  taking  into  view  the 
purport  of  the  context. 

X  §§  522-525. 

§  Of  the  same  character  we  suppose  the  reigning  to  be  of  the  four  living 
creatures  and  twenty-four  elders,  (Rev.  5  :  9,)  who  speak  of  themselves  as 
made  Mngs  and  priests  to  reig?i  on  the  earth :  principles  of  divine  sovereignty 
and  of  revealed  truth  overruling  the  whole  platform  of  justification  by 
works. 


BEMAEKS   ON   THE   CATASTKOPHE.  381 


Remauks    on    the    Catastrophe. 

Prior  to  the  action  of  the  last  chorus,  the  execution  of 
"the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,"  (Rev.  6  :  17,)  was  represented  as 
the  operation  of  certain  natural  and  supernatural  elements, 
(hail,  fire,  earthquakes  or  shakings,  stars,  angels,  voices, 
sounds  of  trumpets,  test-vials,  and  thunderings,)  together 
with  the  coming  in  remembrance  of  Babylon,  (the  image 
of  the  ten-horned  beast,)  comprehending  all  that  is  said  of 
her  destruction,  both  as  a  harlot  and  as  a  city.  These 
operations,  however  seemingly  various,  are  all  in  effect 
those  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  rider  of  the  white  horse 
seen  going  forth,  on  the  opening  of  the  first  seal,  conquering 
and  to  conquer ;  the  dififerent  figures  representing  difi*er- 
ent  developments  of  the  same  Word  or  divine  plan  of  sal- 
vation, all  preparatory  to  the  catastrophe  we  have  just 
now  contemplated :  even  the  destruction  of  Babylon  (the 
image)  being  part  of  this  preparation,  as  necessarily  pre- 
cedent to  the  introduction  of  the  true  Wife  of  the  Lamb. 

In  this  last  act,  as  we  have  termed  it  by  way  of  classi- 
fication, the  principal  characters  appear  in  their  proper 
persons.  The  leaders  of  both  parties  are  brought  forth 
with  their  respective  auxiliaries  for  the  purpose  of  exhibit- 
ing the  final  triumph  of  the  elements  of  truth,  and  the  per- 
dition of  its  adversaries. 

The  Word  of  God,  as  he  is  now  designated,  reappears 
in  his  first  character,  as  the  warlike  champion;  his 
weapons  are  somewhat  changed  to  meet  the  exigencies  of 
the  crisis,  but  his  white  horse  identifies  him.  His  follow- 
ers, the  armies  of  heaven,  are  also  mounted  on  white 


382  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

horses ;  all  of  them  apparently  different  figures  of  the  in- 
strumentalities we  have  before  noticed  as  what  may  be 
termed  the  forces  of  the  "Word  of  God,  and  as  those  said 
to  have  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast  and  his  auxil- 
iaries.    (Rev.  15  :  2.) 

On  the  otl^er  side  are  marshalled  the  ten-homed  beast 
and  the  false  prophet,  (the  beast  from  the  land,)  with  the 
kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies  ;  apparently,  from  the 
enumeration  of  the  herald,  (Rev.  19  :  18,)  the  earthly 
powers  represented  on  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  as 
seeking  a  refuge  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb.  The 
exhibition  of  that  wrath  having  been  delayed  or  hin- 
dered, that  once  panic-stricken  multitude,  summoned  by 
the  unclean  spirits  from  the  mouths  of  the  dragon,  the 
beast,  and  false  prophet,  venture  to  contend  in  battle  with 
the  King  of  kings;  being  brought  together  by  divine 
appointment  into  that  position,  which  must  most  certainly 
secure  their  defeat. 

The  rider  of  the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,)  hav- 
ing exchanged  his  covenant  bow  for  the  sword  out  of  his 
mouth,  or  perhaps  one  being  converted  into  the  other, 
gains  as  it  were  an  instantaneous  victory ;  corresponding 
with  the  suddenness  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and 
with  the  result  of  a  contest  between  divine  truth  and 
human  error,  when  the  former  is  fully  developed. 

The  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies  are  overcome 
by  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word  of  God,  and 
their ^sAes  given  to  the  carrion  birds.  The  beast  and 
false  prophet  are  taken  in  a  snare,  and  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire.  Satan,  the  instigator  of  the  contest,  the  arch-ene- 
my, the  persecutor  of  the  woman  bearmg  the  man-child, 


REMARKS   ON   THE   CATASTROPHE.  383 

overcome  in  heaven  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  driven 
to  earth  by  Michael  and  his  angels,  still  wroth  with  the 
woman,  and  making  war  with  the  renmant  of  her  seed,  is 
seized  by  a  special  messenger  fi-om  heaven,  bomid  with  a 
great  chain,  and  cast  into  the  bottomless  pit. 

On  the  side  of  the  victors,  the  souls  beheaded  for  the 
witness  of  Jesus,  (elements  of  divine  truth,)  first  seen 
under  the  altar,  calling  for  vengeance  upon  those  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth,  (principles  of  the  earthly  system,) 
afterwards  spoken  of  as  saints  whose  blood  was  found  in 
the  ruins  of  Babylon,  and  constituting,  perhaps,  a  part  of 
the  armies  of  heaven,  are  elevated  to  tribunals  of  judg- 
ment, li\ing  and  reigning  with  Christ ;  being  apparently, 
also,  the  sealed  servants  of  God,  subsequently  represented 
as  to  reign  in  the  holy  city  for  ever  and  ever. 

Time  being  out  of  the  question,  as  part  of  the  same 
catastrophe,  Satan  is  represented  as  released  from  the  pit, 
influencing,  in  his  own  proper  character,  (being  deprived 
of  his  ten  horns,)  the  Gog  and  Magog  (Gentile)  powers  of 
the  earth,  engaging  them  in  another  contest  with  the 
Word  of  God  (the  beloved  city)  and  the  camp  of  the 
saints,  which  he  is  described  as  about  to  besiege.  Fire 
from  God  out  of  heaven — the  action  of  the  same  Word 
of  God— destroys  them  all;  their  leader  (Satan)  being  him- 
self cast  into  the  lake  of  fire — a  perpetual  torture  equiva- 
lent to  his  endless  perdition. 

The  beast,  the  false  prophet,  and  Satan,  are  destroyed ; 
the  conqueror,  the  Word  of  God,  having  no  fiirther 
need,  as  a  warrior,  of  his  white  horse,  is  now  seen  upon 
a  great  white  throne,  or  tribunal  of  judgment,  the  old 
heaven  and  the  old  earth  fleeing-  from  his  face  as  if  unable 


384  THE   SEALED   BOOK. 

to  stand  the  trial  about  to  be  commenced.  The  dead, 
small  and  great,  (the  slam  in  the  late  battle,  and  others 
previously  represented  as  killed,)  are  summoned  to  the  bar 
and  are  judged.  The  sea,  the  element  of  judicial  wrath, 
gives  up  its  dead  (principles)  and  disappears,  as  prohibited 
from  entering  into  the  new  state  of  things ;  and  death 
and  hell  (the  three  being  judged  each  according  to  their 
works)  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  with  all  not  written 
in  the  book  of  life,  (all  principles  not  contained  in  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation.) 

Immediately  upon  the  execution  of  the  judgment  of 
this  last  enemy ^  Deaths  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth 
appear,  and  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  Bride  spoken  of  in 
the  last  chorus  (exodus)  as  prepared  for  the  marriage 
feast,  is  seen  descending  from  God  out  of  heaven,  adorned 
as  a  bride  for  her  husband.  The  persecuted  Wife,  once 
desolate  in  the  wilderness,  is  now  represented  as  restored 
to  her  spouse ;  equivalent  to  a  manifestation  that  the 
Word  of  God,  exhibited  as  the  New  Jerusalem,  is  one 
with  the  Lamb,  whence,  as  a  necessary  consequence, 
all  things  become  new,  and  tears  are  wiped  from  all 
eyes. 

The  subsequent  particulars  given  of  the  Wife  of  the 
Lamb,  furnish  an  equivalent  to  the  description  of  a  mar- 
riage feast ;  such  a  celebration  being,  as  we  have  noticed, 
a  publication  or  manifestation  of  the  oneness  of  two 
parties. 

Thus,  figuratively  speaking,  after  a  series  of  contests, 
the  Lamb,  in  the  execution  of  his  wrath  through  the 
instrumentahty  of  the  Word  of  God,  is  at  last  under  the 
same  personification  exhibited  as  having  brought  every 


REMAEKS    ON   THE   CATASTROPHE.  385 

opposing  element  under  subjection — a  triumph  and  a  mar- 
riage feast  concluding  the  representation. 

"We  can  hardly  conceive  of  an  epic  or  dramatic  compo- 
sition in  which  there  could  be  a  more  complete  grouping 
of  the  principal  characters ;  or  one  in  which  the  tissue  of 
the  piece  could  be  more  perfectly  preserved,  and  the 
finale,  or  winding  up,  as  in  this  catastrophe,  more  com- 
pletely brought  about. 

Whatever  difference  of  opinion  there  may  be  with 
regard  to  the  analogical  purport  of  the  figures  we  have 
traced,  and  however  imperfectly  our  work  may  have  been 
performed,  we  think  the  advantage  of  imputing  a  drama- 
tic arrangement  to  the  body  of  the  sacred  composition 
will  be  apparent  to  all ;  exhibiting,  as  it  does,  the  connec- 
tion and  correspondence  of  the  different  parts,  and  the 
unity  of  the  whole. 


17 


P  A  E  T     IV 


€  |[  i  I  0  jj  u  ^  . 


CHAPTER   I. 

EXPLAJSTATION  AND  ADMONITION  OP  THE  ANGEL — ^ANNOUNCE- 
MENT OP  COMINGI DECLARATION  OP  ALPHA  AND  OMEGA — 

ADDEESS  OP  JESUS — INVITATION — EESPONSE. 


In  Heaven. 

We  term  the  remaining  portion  of  the  Apocalypse  the 
epilogue,  not  that  it  is  such  as  a  matter  of  composition, 
but  that  it  occupies  the  place  of  an  epilogue,  being  some- 
thing distinct  from  the  tissue  of  the  narrative,  and  in  the 
nature  of  a  comment  upon  it. 

The  angel  in  attendance  upon  the  apostle,  having  replied 
to  the  last  interrogation,  (as  supposed,)  in  taking  leave, 
gives  an  account  of  himself  as  the  messenger  of  the  Lord, 
the  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets,  (Grr.,)  an  allusion  to 
the  spirit-sense  of  the  prophets,  sent  to  show  to  John  and 
to  his  fellow  laborers*  the  things,  as  it  is  termed,  (Gr.,) 
to  be  forthwith. 

*  As  the  exhibition  is  now  closed,  and  the  language  of  the  angel  is  that 
of  an  interpreter,  (a  chorus  of  one  voice,)  we  take  the  term  servants  in  its 


390  EPILOGUE. 

The  "  things  to  be,"  we  suppose  to  be  the  errors  and 
the  truth,  and  the  contest  between  them,  symbohcally  set 
forth  in  the  representation  just  made;  matters  in  fact 
existing  in  the  tune  of  the  apostles,  but  of  which  the  de- 
velopment or  manifestation  was  but  commencing. 

In  making  this  explanation  the  angel  adds,  apparently 
as  the  representative  of  Jesus  Christ,  although  not  so  un- 
derstood by  the  apostle,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly ;  blessed 
is  he  that  keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
hook  /"  referring,  we  suppose,  to  the  sealed  book,  the  con- 
tents or  sayings  of  which  had  just  been  made  known. 
The  term  prophecy,  we  understand  here,  as  noticed  else- 
where, to  signify  the  interpretation  of  the  mind  or  pur- 
pose of  the  Deity,  not  necessarily  a  prediction  of  future 
events.  This  interpretation  must  consist  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  under-sense  or  spirit-meaning  of  the  sayings 
in  which  alone  the  mind  of  God  is  to  be  found.  The 
blessedness  spoken  of,  we  suppose  to  consist  in  the  right 
apprehension  of  this  spirit-meaning,  although  it  may  ap- 
ply also  to  the  keeping^  as  in  custody,  of  the  sayings,  by 
prophets,  apostles,  and  others,  (Matt.  13  :  16.) 

This  announcement  of  immediate  coming,  together  with 
the  declaration  concerning  the  angel  or  messenger  of  the 
Lord,  may  have  led  the  apostle  to  take  his  companion  for 
the  messenger  of  the  covenant,  compared  by  the  prophet 
to  "  a  refiner's  fire,"  (Mai.  3  :  2,)  and  who  we  may  take 
for  granted  was  believed  to  be  the  Messiah,  or  Christ,  and 
as  such  entitled  to  divine  worship;  such  worship  hav- 
ing been  rendered  to  Jesus  Christ  before  his  ascension,  by 

ordinary  sense.    The  apostle,  however,  is  still  to  be  considered  in  heaven 
(Rev.  4:1,2)  in  vision,  or,  as  he  expresses  it,  iii  f^pirif. 


EXPLANATION    AND   ADMONITION.  391 

many  of  his  followers,  (Mat.  28  :  9,  17.)  "We  can  not  oth- 
erwise account  for  this  second  mistake  of  the  apostle,  re- 
proved, as  he  had  been  on  a  former  occasion,  and  bound, 
both  as  a  Jew  and  a  disciple  of  Christ,  to  bear  in  mind 
the  command,  "Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  him  only  shall  thou  serve." 

The  circumstance,  however,  reminds  us  that  John 
understood  this  coming  to  be  something  to  take  place 
immediately,  equivalent  to  a  manifestation  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  At  the  same  time  we  are  reminded  by  the  admoni- 
tion of  the  angel  that  whatever  may  be  the  purport  of  the 
vision  it  must  accord  with  that  of  the  prophecies,  (all  that 
Moses  and  the  prophets  have  written,)  and  that  whatever 
may  be  the  symbolical  representations,  God  (the  Lord 
Almighty)  only  is  to  be  worshipped. 

The  declaration,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly,"  (forthwith,) 
carries  us  back  to  that  made  in  the  commencement  of  the 
vision,  (Rev.  1  :  7,)  "  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds." 
The  change  of  expression  confirms  our  supposition  that 
the  coming  with  clouds  consisted  in  the  symboHcal  unveil- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ,  then  about  being  made.  The  clouds 
are  now  no  more  spoken  of.  These  symbolical  accom- 
paniments of  the  appearance  of  our  Lord  have  performed 
their  part.  The  revelation,  or  unveiling,  of  Jesus  Christ 
having  been  figuratively  completed  in  the  exhibition  of 
the  victorious  career  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  the 
manifestation  of  the  identity  of  that  Word  with  the 
Lamb  and  the  Sovereign  of  all,  it  remains  only  for  our 
Lord  himself,  in  his  own  name  and  person,  declaratively 
to  appropriate  to  himself  aU  that  has  here  been  so  various- 
ly represented  of  him  as  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of 


392  EPILOGUE. 

Man,  as  the  Lamb  once  slain,  as  the  Son  of  God,  as  the 
Word  of  God,  and  as  Him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. 
Such  a  declarative  announcement  we  find  to  be  made 
immediately  after  the  departure  of  the  angel,  and  to 
that  we  think  the  comiiig  quickly  refers;  the  veritable 
coming  consisting  in  a  right  understanding  of  the  sym- 
bols and  figurative  language  by  which  it  is  ushered 
forth. 

The  direction  given  to  the  apostle,  not  to  seal  the  mat- 
ters revealed  to  him,  because  the  time  is  at  hand,  may  be 
contrasted  with  that  given  the  prophet  Daniel,*  500  years 
before,  to  shut  up  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  committed 
to  him,  and  to  seal  the  book  "  to  the  time  of  the  end," 
(Dan.  12  :  4-9.)  The  time  then  was  not  at  hand.  The 
mference  seems  to  be  that  the  time  alluded  to  on  both 
occasions  is  the  same,  and  consequently  that  the  crisis  con- 
templated in  the  vision  of  Daniel,  is  now  reached. 

According  to  the  prophet,  "  the  man  clothed  in  linen 
upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  held  his  right  hand  and  his 
left  hand  up  unto  heaven,  and  sware  by  Him  that  liveth 
and  reigneth  for  ever,"  that  the  matter  referred  to  should 
be  "  for  a  time,  times  and  half  a  time :"  the  same  expres- 
sion as  that  employed  in  designating  the  seclusion  of  the 
Wife  in  the  wilderness,  (Rev.  12  ;  14.) 

The  apostle  saw  a  mighty  angel  standing  upon  the 
earth  and  upon  the  sea,  who  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven, 
and  sware  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer. 

It  seems  fair  to  conclude  that  in  the  full  development 
of  truth,  symbolically  represented  in  what  we  have  termed 
the  catastrophe  of  the  Apocalypse,  the  time  of  the  end, 

*  §  529. 


EXPLANATION   AND   ADMONITION.  393 

spoken  of  by  Daniel,  is  reached,  the  terms  of  duration,  in 
both  cases,  being  figures  of  coincidence,  or  parallelism. 

That  the  Michael  spoken  of  by  the  prophet,  is  the 
Michael,  also,  of  the  apostle,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  both 
refer  to  the  same  Messiah,  or  Christ,  and  to  hun  especial- 
ly, as  a  personification  of  divine  sovereignty ;  whence  it 
would  appear  that  the  "  children  of  thy  people,"  in  the 
prophecy  is  an  appellation  equivalent  to  that  of  "  the 
brethren"  in  the  book  of  Revelation ;  both  referrmg  not  to 
human  beings,  but  to  evangehcal  principles  of  doctrine,  of 
which  the  children  of  Israel,  or  the  people  of  Judea,  were 
typical  personifications.  Of  these,  some  of  those  alluded 
to  are  on  the  side  of  truth,  corresponding  with  those 
slain  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  afterwards  promoted  to 
tribunals  of  judgment,  resuscitated  to  everlasting  life ; 
others,  like  the  dead  slain  in  battle  with  the  Word  of  God, 
and  not  found  written  in  the  book,  are  condemned  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt — a  result  of  the  eternal 
trial  of  the  second  death.  Accordingly,  those  that  shine 
as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars,  for 
ever  and  ever,  are  the  elements  of  true  evangehcal  doc- 
trine, which  are  the  really  wise,  or  the  real  teachers,  (mar- 
gin,) as  they  are  also  the  real  instruments  in  turning 
many,  or  even  any,  to  righteousness.     (Dan.  12:3.) 

The  book  spoken  of  by  the  prophet  as  the  standard  of 
judgment,  is  apparently  the  same  as  that  set  forth  in  the 
Apocalypse  as  the  book  of  life,  or  the  book  of  the  life  of  the 
Lamb,  that  is,  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  the  vicarious 
sacrifice  of  Christ.* 

*  We  throw  out  these  remarks  upon  Daniel  principally  by  way  of  sug- 
gestion—matter worthy  of  consideration.    The  conclusion  of  the  hooh  of 


394  EPILOGUE. 

"  He  that  is  unjust  let  him  be  unjust  still,"  or,  (Gr.,) 
The  unjustifying^ let  it  unjustify  still*  The  verb  is  pre- 
cisely the  same  as  that  rendered  in  all  other  instances  in 
our  common  version  of  the  Apocalypse  by  the  term  hurt, 
and  which  we  have  before  defined  as  the  opposite  of  justi- 
fying: the  conqueror  was  not  to  be  hurt  by  the  second 
death ;  death  and  hell  were  forbidden  to  hurt  the  oil  and 
the  wine ;  the  four  winds  were  to  hurt  the  earth,  etc.,  ex- 
cept the  sealed  ones ;  the  two  witnesses  in  sackcloth  were  not 
to  be  hurt  without  peril ;  the  locusts  were  to  hurt^  but  not 
to  kill.  In  all  these  cases  we  have  considered  the  hurting 
in  question  the  action  of  legal  principles,  lawfully  or  un- 
lawfully applied,  showing  the  want  of  the  power  of  justifi- 
cation in  the  element  of  doctrine  tried.  The  hurting  of 
the  witnesses  in  sackcloth  would  have  been  an  unlawful 
application  of  legal  principles ;  the  hurting  of  the  elements 
of  the  earthly  system  was  a  lawful  application  of  the  same 
principles.  The  purport  of  the  declaration  here  seems  to 
be  an  averring  of  the  unchangeable  nature  of  the  doctrinal 
principles  referred  to :  those  that  are  hostile  to  justifica- 
tion, must  ever  continue  to  be  so;  as  those  that  rest 
upon  the  law,  must  be  judged  by  the  law,  and  as  all  vain 
pretensions  to  merit  must  be  manifestly  unjustified,  when 
the  law  is  brought  to  bear  on  them. 

"  He  that  is  filthy,t  let  him  be  filthy  still."  This  also 
should  be  rendered  actively,  (Gr.,)  The  defiling  let  it  defile 
^tiU.  Principles  defiling,  (the  opposite  of  spotless  or 
pure,)  are  those  which  tend  to  mix  pretensions  of  human 

Revelation  is  the  end  of  the  inspired  writings,  as  it  is  also  the  completion  of 

prophecy ;  as  such  it  may  be  figuratively  alluded  to  as  "  the  time  of  the  end." 

*  §  530.  t  §  531. 


COMING   OF   THE   ALPHA   AND   OMEGA.  395 

merit  with  professions  of  dependence  upon  the  merits  of 
Christ — an  amalgamation  of  legal  and  Gospel  principles. 

"He  that  is  righteous,  (just,)  let  him  be  righteous 
still,"*  or,  (Gr.,)  the  just,  let  it  justify  still,  and  the  holy,  or 
consecrated,  let  it  hoUfy^  or  consecrate,  or  sanctify  still. 
The  same  remarks  apply  here  as  in  the  preceding  cases. 
The  principles  of  doctrine  tending  to  justification  must 
continue  to  do  so ;  and  those  which  tend  to  consecrate  or 
sanctify,  are  also  to  remain  unchanged :  such,  for  example, 
as  sustain  the  doctrine  of  justification  through  the  imputed 
righteousness  of  Christ,  and  such  as  exhibit  the  sanctifica- 
tion  or  consecration  of  the  disciple  by  adoption  in  Christ, 
must  ever  have  the  same  tendency. 

Old  things  have  passed  away,  all  things  have  become 
new,  by  the  substitution  of  the  new  dispensation  for  the 
old ;  but  principles  and  their  tendencies,  whether  of  law  or 
Gospel,  are  unchanged.  Legal  principles  will  ever  tend  to 
the  condemnation  of  the  sinner,  and  principles  of  a  mixed 
or  mercenary  character  must  ever  continue  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace. 

"  And  behold,  I  come  quickly,  (forthwith,)  and  my  re- 
ward with  me  to  give  to  each  (Gr.)  according  as  his  or  its 
works  shaU  be.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last." 

In  this  second  announcement*  we  advance  a  further  step 
toward  knowing  who  it  is  that  is  to  come.  The  Alpha 
and  Omega  is  declared  by  the  Lord  God  (Gr.)  to  be  the 
Almighty,  (Rev.  1:8;)  and  connecting  the  voice  heard 
by  the  apostle  behind  him,  with  what  he  saw  when  he 

*  §  532.  t  §  583. 


396  EPILOGUE. 

turned  round  to  see  the  speaker,  the  same  Alpha  and 
Omega  is  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  (Rev.  1  :  13,) 
and  comparing  this  with  the  declaration  of  Him  that  sat 
on  the  (great  white)  throne,  (Rev.  21  :  5,)  the  same  Alpha 
and  Omega  is  the  Word  of  God,  by  whom  all  things  are 
made  new.  It  is  therefore  the  Lord  God  Almighty  in  the 
person  of  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  personified  also  as 
the  conqueror,  the  Word  of  God,  who  is  to  come.  He 
came  as  a  thief,  (Rev.  16:15,)  that  is,  unexpectedly,  in  the 
great  battle  of  Armageddon,  as  a  conqueror  overcom- 
ing by  the  sword  of  his  mouth,  as  a  judge  condemning 
to  the  second  death  the  dead  not  written  in  the  book  of 
Ufe,  and  as  a  saviour  giving  to  the  thirsty  of  the  water  of 
life  freely.  He  now  comes  as  a  sovereign,  his  recompense 
(wages)  with  him,  to  give  to  each  as  his  work  shall  be.* 

Immediately  after  this  announcement,  we  find  two  classes 
of  subjects  pointed  out,  apparently  as  those  to  whom  the 
recompense  spoken  of  is  destined :  the  first  pronounced  to  be 
blessed,  as  doing  his  commandments,  or,  according  to  some 
editions,  "  washing  their  robes,"t  that  the  power  concern- 
ing the  tree  of  hfe  (Gr.)  may  be  theirs,  and  that  they  may 
enter  by  the  gates  into  the  city.  Those  of  the  second 
class  are  designated  as  dogs,  sorcerers,  whoremongers, 
murderers,  idolators,  and  every  one  loving  or  making  a 
He,  doomed  to  exclusion  from  the  city. 

These,  then,  are  the  two  classes  to  which  the  term  each 
refers  ;  the  recompense  or  wages  spoken  of  consisting  in 
the  privileges  of  the  first  class,  and  the  privations  of  the 
second  class. 

This  is  not  to  be  considered  something  in  addition  or 

*  §  534.  +  §  535  and  note. 


THE  TWO   CLASSES.  337 

subsequent  to  the  judgment-scene,  recently  exhibited  in 
what  we  have  termed  the  catastrophe.  It  is  only  a  differ- 
ent figure  of  the  same  thing.  The  city  spoken  of  is  the 
New  Jerusalem,  and  the  New  Jerusalem  is  the  divine  plan 
of  salvation,  or  covenant  of  grace,  (Gal.  4  :  26.)  To  enter 
into  this  city,  is  to  be  or  to  become  a  constituent  part  or 
element  of  it,  as  a  principle  of  that  divine  plan ;  which 
also,  as  enteriag  by  the  gates.,  must  be  a  principle  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  doctrine  of  salvation  through  the  vicari- 
ous work  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  only  door  or  way  of  admis- 
sion. Of  the  same  character  must  be  the  power  omr.,  or 
concerning  the  tree  of  life :  as  that  tree  is  another  figure 
of  the  divine  purpose  of  grace,  the  power  concerning  it 
must  be  a  figurative  expression  of  the  compatibility  of  the 
principle  or  subject  in  question  with  that  divine  purpose. 
These  principles,  accordingly,  are  personified  as  blessed; 
the  figure  corresponding  with  that  of  the  souls  enjoying 
the  first  resurrection  :  blessed  in  being  the  cause  of  blessed- 
ness to  those  by  whom  the  way  of  salvation  just  repre- 
sented is  embraced,  (Tit.  11  :  13.) 

The  purport  of  the  figurative  appellations  of  those  de- 
signated as  "  without,"  (excluded,)  we  have  before  had 
occasion  to  notice  in  commenting  upon  Rev.  21:8  and  27, 
with  the  exception  of  the  term  dogs.  These  we  consider 
symbols  of  doctrinal  principles  of  a  self-righteous  character, 
corresponding  with  the  teachings  of  those  to  whom  the 
apostle  Paul  applied  the  same  appellation,  (Phil.  3  :  2-9,) 
apparently  teachers  of  self-dependence,  opposed  to  the 
righteousness  or  justification  which  is  of  God  through  the 
faith  of  Christ. 

It  is  evident  that  the  passages.  Rev.  21  :  27,  and  22  :  15, 


398  EPILOGUE. 

have  the  same  reference.  The  difference  seems  to  be 
that  the  first  is  a  part  of  the  exhibition  of  the  contents  of 
the  sealed  book,  witnessed  by  the  apostle  on  the  great  and 
high  mountain,  while  the  last  is  the  utterance  of  a  decree 
of  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  as  it  were  in  confirmation  of 
what  was  before  symbohcally  exhibited — a  repetition  equi- 
valent to  the  testimony  of  two  witnesses. 

Addeess  op  Jesus,  (Rev.  22  :  16-20.) 

We  have  now  reached  the  last  stage  in  the  development 
afforded  by  the  vision.  The  veil  of  personification  being 
thrown  aside,  Jesus  Christ  speaks  in  his  own  name,  and 
as  in  his  own  person,  appropriating  to  himself  the  revela- 
tion heretofore  apparently  made  by  his  angel.  It  is  still 
in  vision  that  this  occurs,  and  the  language  employed  is 
still  figurative. 

"  I  Jesus*  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these 
things  concerning  the  churches."  That  is,  the  seven 
churches  to  which  the  narrative  of  the  vision,  with  the  epis- 
tles, was  to  be  sent.  These  churches  we  have  considered  as 
so  many  exponents  of  Christian  faith,  more  or  less  correct, 
according  to  the  influence  of  the  star^  angel,  or  fight  by 
which  they  were  guided.  The  things  concerning  the 
churches  are  therefore  things  concerning  the  views  of  faith 
thus  severally  held. 

The  angel  is  in  fact  the  vision  itself— the  messenger  being 
put  for  the  message,  and  the  vision  being  that  message  ; 
as  a  dream,  or  vision  of  the  night,  or  trance  in  the  day, 
may  be  really  as  much  a  messenger  or  message  of  God  as 

*  §  537. 


ADDBESS   OF  JESUS.  399 

might  be  the  appearance  of  an  angel  in  human  form.  (Job 
33  :  14-16 ;  Acts  10  :  10.) 

The  angel  had  just  before  spoken  of  himself  as  sent  by 
the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets.  He  is 
now  declared  to  have  been  sent  by  Jesus,  consequently 
the  two  must  be  one,  which  oneness  appears  further  by 
what  Jesus  declares  of  himself  in  the  words,  "  I  am  the 
Root  and  the  offspring  of  David,  the  bright  and  morning 
star."  As  the  root  of  David*  he  is  thus  identified  with 
the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  (Rev.  5  :  6.)  As 
that  Lamb  he  is  one  with  his  Bride  or  Wife,  the  New  Je- 
rusalem, or  Word  of  God,  and  as  that  Lamb  he  is  one  with 
God,  in  occupying  the  same  seat  of  divine  sovereignty ; 
all  that  is  represented  either  of  the  Lamb,  or  of  the  Word 
of  God,  is  accordingly  so  represented  (unveiled  or  reveal- 
ed) of  Jesus  Christ. 

Being  the  bright  morning  star,  and  also  the  Word  of 
God,  there  is  in  Jesus  a  fulfillment,  as  we  have  noticed 
elsewhere,  of  one  of  the  promises  to  the  conqueror,  (Rer. 
2  :  28,)  "  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star." 

It  is  true,  we  have  considered  Jesus  Christ  and  his  work 
the  subject  of  the  vision  throughout,  but  it  is  partly  from 
the  title  of  the  book,  and  partly  from  what  we  have 
learned  from  other  portions  of  the  sacred  wi'itings,  that 
we  have  done  so.  K  we  could  place  ourselves  in  a  position 
of  ignorance  as  to  these  other  sources  of  information,  we 
should  find  ourselves  in  the  course  of  the  exhibition,  asking 
the  question,  "  Who  is  the  Lamb  ?"  or  "  Who  is  the  Word 
of  God  ?"  till  we  reach  this  explicit  declaration  of  Christ 
himself,  and  trace  the  connection  with  the  figures  previ- 
ously employed. 

*  §  538. 


400  EPILOGUE. 


Invitation. 


"  And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say,  Come."*  This  is 
still  the  language  of  Jesus ;  he  explains  here  the  purport 
of  the  whole  vision ;  namely,  that  it  is  designed  to  operate 
as  an  invitation,  an  urgent  call,  to  come  to  him ;  or,  which 
is  the  same  thing,  to  trust  in  the  salvation  through  him, 
of  which  the  figure  of  the  Bride  and  the  spiiit-sense  of  the 
figure  are  the  exponents. 

The  Bride,  or  Wife,  is  the  holy  Jerusalem,  and  this  Je- 
rusalem, as  we  have  shown,  is  an  exposition  of  the  divine 
plan  of  salvation,  with  its  atoning  and  justifying  provisions. 
The  figure  and  the  spirit-sense  of  the  figure  virtually  unite 
in  the  call  or  invitation,  to  believe  and  trust  in  the  plan  of 
sovereign  grace  here  symbolically  delineated ;  comprehend- 
ing the  mystery  of  God,  alluded  to  by  the  apostle  Paul  as 
hid  in  Christ ;  now  to  a  certain  extent  at  least  uncovered 
or  unveiled,  (Col.  2  :  2,  3  ;  Matt.  10  :  26.) 

"  And  let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come."t  Of  the  Spirit 
and  the  Bride  it  is  said  absolutely  that  they  say^  Come  ;  but 
here  there  is  a  direction  given  to  him  that  heareth,  or  to 
the  hearing,  to  say,  Come,  that  is,  to  join  in  the  same  virtual 
call  or  invitation  as  above. 

The  apostle  has  just  declared  that  he  saw  and  heard 
these  things.  The  declaration  may  therefore  be  considered 
as  primarily  given  to  him;  but  further,  we  suppose  it 
given  to  aU  who  like  the  apostle  have  had  the  benefit  of 
the  vision,  with  the  right  understanduig  of  it ;  for  we  sup- 
pose something  more  than  the  mere  hearing  of  the  ear  is 
contemplated.    Perhaps  the  test  of  the  correctness  of  this 

*  §  539.  t  §  540. 


ADDEESS    OF  JESUS.  401 

hearing  may  be  that  of  its  effect.  If  it  prompt  the  hearer 
to  join  the  call  to  come,  and  partake  m  the  rich  provision 
of  sovereign  grace,  set  forth  in  the  vision,  we  may  judge 
it  is  the  kind  of  hearing  alluded  to.     (Ps.  66  :  16.) 

"  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come,"  or,  Let  the  thirst- 
ing come,  and  the  willing,  (desiring,)  let  him  take  the 
water  oiMQ  freely. 

Here  it  is  not  a  direction,  "  let  him  say,  Come,"  but  the 
language  is  altogether  that  of  invitation.  "  Let  him,  or 
them,  come,  and  take  of  the  water  of  Mq  freely,  gratuitously, 
without  money  and  without  price ;  corresponding  with  the 
language  of  the  prophet,  (Is.  55  :  1,)  and  with  that  of  Je- 
sus himself,  (John  5  :  35.) 

This  "  water  of  Hfe"  must  be  the  water  of  the  river,  pro- 
ceeding out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,*  (Rev. 
22  :  1)— the  element  of  divine  atonement,  of  which  the 
source  is  in  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  (the 
throne,)  and  of  which  the  operation  is  to  give  effect  to  all 
the  elements  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  symbolized  by  the 
city.  The  river  runs  through  the  midst  of  the  city,  and 
the  tree  of  life  with  its  fruits  and  leaves  grow  on  both 
sides  of  it,  dependent  on  the  river  for  its  nourishment.  So 
all  the  benefits  of  the  plan  of  salvation  depend  upon  its 
distinguishing  feature,  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ ; 
thus  the  water  of  life  is  here  apparently  put  for  the  whole 
gift  of  salvation.  As  on  the  other  hand,  he  that  thirsteth, 
or  the  thirsting,  is  a  general  appellation  for  all  who  feel 
their  need  of  redeeming  mercy— their  need  of  purification 
from  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  of  justification  by  some  other 
righteousness  than  their  own. 

"  Ss  541,  542. 


402  EPILOGFBr. 

The  spectacle,  as  we  may  term  it,  having  closed,  the 
lorath  of  the  Lamh  against  priaciples  opposed  to  his  work 
having  been  exhibited,  together  with  the  final  trimnph  of 
the  elements  of  truth,  and  the  benefits  derived  from  them, 
the  invitation  here  from  the  mouth  of  Jesus,  though  still 
a  part  of  the  vision,  and  clothed  in  figurative  language, 
may  be  taken  as  addressed  directly  to  disciples  in  general — 
all  who  read,  hear,  and  keep  the  things  written  in  this 
book,  or  that  which  is  equivalent  thereto.* 

Caution. 

"  I  testify  unto  all  hearing  the  words  (sayings)  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any  one  add  to  (put  upon)  these 
things,  God  shall  put  upon  him  the  plagues  (tests)  written 
in  this  hook  ;  and  if  any  shall  take  away  from  the  sayings 
of  this  book,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  from  the  (book) 
tree  of  life,  and  from  the  holy  city,  and  from  the  things 
written  in  this  book,"  (Rev.  22  :  19.) 

This  caution,f  we  may  presume,  was  primarily  design- 
ed for  the  protection  of  the  original  text,  although  in  a 
certain  sense,  it  may  also  apply  to  comments  upon  that 
text,  as,  indeed,  the  Greek  word  rendered  add^  strictly 
signifies.  The  first  object  has  been  almost  miraculously 
attained,  for  amidst  all  the  variety  of  opinions  concern- 
ing the  matter,  and  the  very  diverse  applications  made  of 

*  We  say  equivalent  tTiereto,  because,  as  the  matter  of  this  vision  must  ac- 
cord with  what  is  revealed  on  the  same  subject  in  the  writings  of  prophets 
and  apostles,  many  may  have  learned  from  that  source,  what  they  may  yet 
learn  in  confirmation  from  this. 

t  §§  543,  544. 


ADDRESS   OF   JESUS.  403 

it,  together  even  with  the  indifference  of  others  to  the  real 
meaning  or  purport,  the  original  text,  it  is  said,  has  been 
preserved  vrith  more  purity  than  that  of  any  other  por- 
tion of  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

As  to  the  comments  and  commentaries  upon  the  vision, 
of  which  there  has  been  a  great  abundance,  especially 
upon  certain  portions,  we  may  notice  that  the  plagues 
spoken  of,  are  the  tests  which  in  the  course  of  the  vision 
we  have  seen  symbolically  applied  to  the  errors  or  errone- 
ous principles  subjected  to  their  action.  For  example 
as  far  as  such  comments  partake  of  the  self-justifying 
errors  of  the  bottomless  pit  system,  they  must  be  test- 
ed by  the  legal  principles  (locust-plagues)  of  that  system 
if  errors  of  the  self-atoning  pretension,  they  must  be 
tested  by  the  legal  elements  represented  by  the  cav- 
alry of  the  Euphrates ;  as  partaking  of  the  earthly 
system  generally,  they  must  be  subjected  to  the  tests 
(plagues)  of  the  vritnesses  in  sackcloth ;  belonging  to  the 
system  (kingdom)  of  the  beast,  they  must  be  subjected  to 
the  tests  (plagues)  of  the  first  and  fifth  vials;  arisuig 
from  false  views  of  the  requisitions  of  the  broken  law,  or 
of  the  adequate  means  of  atonement,  they  are  obnoxious 
to  the  action  of  the  second  and  third  vials,  (plagues  or 
tests;)  as  sustaining  pretensions  to  justification  by 
human  merit,  they  must  be  exposed  to  the  scorching  test 
of  the  fourth  vial ;  partaking  of  the  erroneous  views  of 
propitiation,  connected  with  the  harlot  system,  their  en- 
tire insufficiency  is  shown  by  the  test  of  the  sixth  vial,  as 
in  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates,  preparatory  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  whole  mystery,  of  which  this  pretension 
forms  the  prominent  characteristic ;  and  finally,  if  errors 


404  EPILOGUE. 

arising  from  misconstruction  or  misinterpretation  of  the 
written  word  of  revelation,  they  come  under  the  operation 
of  all  that  is  represented  by  the  action  of  the  last  test,  the 
effusion  of  the  seventh  vial  upon  the  au*,  including  the 
sweepi7ig  effect  of  the  plague  of  hail. 

Such  are  "  the  plagues  wi'itten  in  this  book,"  conse- 
quently the  additions  to  the  things  revealed,  contem- 
plated in  this  caution,  must  be  of  a  corresponding  cha- 
racter. 

By  taking  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this 
prophecy,  we  may  understand,  in  reference  to  comments, 
any  perversion  of  its  meaning.  The  Greek  term  translated 
here  (c.  v.)  "  the  book  of  Hfe,"  is  the  same  as  that  ren- 
dered elsewhere,  "  the  tree  of  life :"  whether  the  tree  or 
book  of  life,  we  consider  the  expression  a  figure  of  the 
divine  purpose  of  salvation  through  the  vicarious  sacri- 
fice of  Christ.  The  holg  city  has  just  been  exhibited  as 
another  figure  of  the  same  divine  purpose,  of  which  "  the 
things  wiitten  in  this  book,"  whether  of  the  whole  vision  or 
of  the  sealed  book,  is  yet  another  figure.  Consistently  with 
this  definition,  the  purport  of  the  declaration  seems  to  be 
that  any  perversion  of  the  things  revealed,  equivalent  to 
taking  away  a  part  of  them,  shall  be  manifested  to  be  in- 
compatible with,  or  not  belonging  to,  a  just  or  true  view 
of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  as  set  forth  in  the  three 
symbolical  expositions  alluded  to.* 

*  The  word  man  has  been  somewhat  oflBciously  introduced  in  this 
passage  of  our  common  version,  but  whether  retained  or  not  we  are  per- 
suaded that  the  reference  is  to  the  things  written,  and  not  to  the  writers  ; 
the  difference  between  the  comment  and  the  commentator  being  the  same 
here  as  that  alluded  to   in  the  trial  by  Jire,  spoken  of  by  the  apostle  Paul, 


THE  COMING  OF  JESUS.  405 


The  Coming,  (Rev.  22  :  20.) 

"  He  which  testifieth  these  things,  saith.  Surely  I  come 
quickly,  (forthwith.)"*     (See  Appendix  D.) 

This  is  the  third  time,  since  the  conclusion  of  the  de- 
scription of  the  New  Jerusalem,  that  this  declaration  of 
coming  quickly  has  been  made  by  one  speaking  in  the  first 
person.  The  first  of  these  announcements  seems  to  have 
been  made  by  the  angel,  as  the  herald  of  Him  that  was  to 
come ;  as  if  it  had  been  said.  Behold,  saith  the  Lord,  I 
come  quickly.  The  second  announcement  is  made  by 
Him  who  declares  himself  to  be  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
begummg  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last ;  from  which 
we  gather  that  the  coming  one  is  He  of  whom  it  was  said 
in  the  commencement  (preface)  of  the  book,  "  Behold,  he 
cometh  in  the  clouds,"  also  the  Almighty,  manifesting 
himself  to  the  apostle,  in  appearance  as  one  like  unto 
the  Son  of  Man.  The  announcement  is  now  plainly 
given  as  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  although  he  first 
says,  (v.  16,)  "  I  have  sent  my  angel  to  testify,"  he  after- 
wards says,  (v.  18,)  "  I  testify ;"  consequently  he  that  tes- 
tifieth must  be  Jesus  himself.  It  is  he,  therefore,  who 
now  announces  his  coxmn^  forthwith^  as  something  imme- 

(1  Cor.  3  :  13-15.)  "  If  any  man's  work  shall  be  burned,  he  shall  suffer 
loss,"  (or  it  shall  be  loss,)  "  but  he  himself  shall  be  saved,  yet  so  as  by  fire." 
This  consideration  sustains  us  under  a  consciousness  of  our  own  fallibility, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  we  believe  that  commentators  upon  the  Apoca- 
lypse, however  different  their  views,  have  been  generally  amongst  those 
most  distinguished  in  the  Christian  ministry  for  their  zeal  and  fidelity  in 
the  cause  of  revealed  truth. 
*  §§  545-549. 


406  EPILOGUE. 

diately  resulting  from  the  completion  of  this  vision ;  for  if 
we  examine  the  several  passages  in  the  New  Testament, 
in  which  the  Greek  word  rendered  (c.  v.)  quicMy  is  em- 
ployed, we  shall  find  the  sense  to  be  that  of  forthwith^  or, 
as  we  commonly  express  it,  right  away.^ 

It  can  hardly  be  supposed  that  this  declaration  of  in- 
stant  coming  would  have  been  three  times  repeated,  in 
this  close  connection,  without  a  certain  mystic  meaning. 
The  inference  to  be  drawn  corresponds,  apparently,  with 
the  conclusion  we  arrived  at  in  commenting  upon  the  ad- 
monitions at  the  close  of  the  epistles  to  the  churches ;  as 
while  in  the  six  first  of  these  epistles,  there  is  something 
like  future  contemplated,  as,  "Repent  or  else  I  will 
come,"  "  Hold  fast  till  I  come,"  etc.,  it  is  said  to  the 
Laodicean  church,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock;"  equivalent  to  the  declaration,  Behold,  I  am 
come  ;  or,  Lo,  I  am  here,  even  at  the  door. 

So,  immediately  after  the  gathering  together  of  the  hos- 

*  See  Matt.  28  : 7,  8,  "Go  rigU  omay  and  tell  his  disciples."  "  And  they 
departed  irrmiediatelyP  Mark  9  :  39,  "  There  is  no  one  which  shall  do  a 
miracle  in  my  name  that  can  immediately  (afterwards)  speak  evil  of  me ;" 
John  11 :  29,  **  As  soon  as  she  heard  that,  she  arose  immediately  and  came 
unto  him ;"  Acts  12  :  7,  "  Arise  immediately  /"  22,  "  Get  thee  immediately 
(without  loss  of  time)  out  of  Jerusalem." 

Such  is  evidently  the  sense  of  the  passages  quoted.  The  words  of  our 
common  version,  shortly,  quickly,  speedily,  do  not  sufficiently  express  this 
sense,  for  we  associate  with  them  comparatively  a  greater  or  less  duration 
of  time,  according  to  the  circumstances  supposed ;  as  one  or  two  thousand 
years  in  comparison  with  eternity,  is  but  a  day,  or  less. 

The  words  immediately,  forthwitJi,  or  right  away,  do  not  admit  of  this 
qualification,  and  such  being  the  sense  of  the  Greek  term  employed  in  con- 
nection with  the  coming  spoken  of,  we  can  only  apply  that  coming  to  a  right 
understanding  of  the  purport  of  the  vision  ;  the  unveiling  of  Christ,  and  his 
com,ing  being  synonymous  expressions. 


THE  COMING   OF   JESUS.  407 

tile  powers  on  the  field  of  the  Gospel,  (Rev.  16  :  14,  16,) 
it  is  said,  "  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief,"  aUuding,  apparent- 
ly, to  the  coming  in  the  person  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse 
in  that  battle-scene.  Again,  immediately  after  the  exposi- 
tion of  the  same  Word  or  divine  pm-pose,  under  the  figm-e 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  it  is  said,  "  Behold,  I  com.e  forth- 
with,''^ Such  being  the  progressive  advance  in  the  revela- 
tion, we  wish  to  know  now  who  it  is  that  is  thus  coming, 
and  the  next  announcement  in  the  same  terms,  informs  us 
that  it  is  he  who  styles  himself  "  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  ending,  the  first  and  the  last."  With 
this  key  we  connect  all  that  has  been  said  of  him  to  whom 
this  appellation  is  attributed,  and  we  find  that  it  is  both 
the  Lord  Almighty  and  the  one  Uke  unto  the  Son  of  Man, 
(Rev.  1  :  8,  11,  13;)  the  latter  being  he  whose  coming  is 
alluded  to  in  the  epistles,  in  one  of  which  he  also  styles 
himself  the  Son  of  God.  We  still  wait,  as  it  were,  for 
something  more  explicit,  tiU  we  reach  this  declaration  of 
Jesus  himself,  "Verily,  I  com.e  forthwith.''^ 

It  is,  then,  Jesus,  the  coming  one,  who  is  the  Alpha  and 
Omega ;  in  appearance  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  but 
in  reality  the  Son  of  God,  and  more  than  this,  mysterious 
as  it  may  seem,  it  is  the  Zord  Almighty,  for  we  can  not 
dissever  the  connection  of  the  chain  of  appellations.  How, 
then,  are  we  to  consider  iMa  coming  forthwith,  announced 
at  the  close  of  the  vision  ? 

The  proper  title  of  the  vision  is  the  unveiling  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  we  find  that  Jesus  Christ  unveiled  is  not  only 
the  Lamb  of  God,  and  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Word  of 
God,  but  even  the  Lokd  Almighty.  As  while  on  earth 
he  was  the  Word  (of  God)  made  flesh,  the  veil  of  flesh 


408  •  EPILOGUE. 

being  removed,  he  is  the  Word,  the  divine  purpose,  the 
mind  of  God ;  and  as  on  earth  he  is  declared  to  have 
been  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  so,  that  same  veil  of 
flesh  being  removed,  he  is  revealed  to  be  the  Lokd  God. 
This  revelation  or  unveiling  is  accomplished,  as  we  have 
seen,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  symboHc  clouds 
and  figurative  representations  we  have  just  passed  over ; 
corresponding  with  the  first  announcement,  "  Behold,  he 
cometh  with  clouds."  The  coming,  then,  and  the  unveiling 
of  Jesus  Christ  are  synonymous  terms — terms,  as  used  in 
this  connection,  of  like  signification.  As  the  coming  of  "  the 
Man  of  Sin,"  or  error,  consists  in  the  unveiling  of  "  that 
mystery,"  (2  Thess.  2  :  8,  9,)  so  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
Man  (Matt.  16  :  28)  consists  in  this  unveiling  of  Jesus 
Christ.  To  understand  the  vision  is  to  witness  the  coming 
of  Jesus :  to  understand  and  to  appreciate  all  that  is  re- 
vealed of  him  in  the  /Scriptures,  is  to  see  hun  coming  in  the 
clouds  Q>i  heaven;  corresponding  with  our  suggestion  that 
as  the  physical  heavens  display  the  wonderful  work  of 
creation,  so  the  Scriptures  (the  symbolical  heaven)  ex- 
hibit the  wonders  of  redemption  and  of  divine  government. 

Response  op  the  Apostle. 

The  response  to  this  annujiciation,  "  Amen,  come.  Lord 
Jesus,"  or,  Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus,*  appears  to  us  a 
confirmation  of  the  construction  adopted,  as  it  evidently 
does  not  refer  to  any  thing  to  take  place  one  or  two  thou- 
sands years  afterwards,  but  to  something  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  revelation  just  made — something  which  the 

*  §  550. 


THE   COMING    OF   JESUS.  409 

apostle  himself  may  have  witnessed  even  on  earth,  (John 
21  :  22,  23,)  and  which  all  must  witness  immediately  upon 
then*  transition  to  a  future  state. 


Invocation. 

"  The  grace*  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all." 
This  concluding  invocation  of  the  apostle  corresponds  with 
his  greeting  to  the  churches,  in  his  preface  to  the  epistles, 
"  Grace  unto  you  and  peace,"  (Rev.  1  :  4.)  This  grace 
and  peace  having  been  set  forth  in  the  vision,  the  apostle 
now  invokes  its  benefits  in  behalf  of  those  whom  he  ad- 
dresses :  symbolically  the  seven  churches,  but  virtually  all 
who  read  and  hear  the  word  of  this  prophecy^  and  keep  the 
things  written  therein. 

The  grace  referred  to  on  both  occasions  we  take  to  be 
specifically  the  grace^  or  free  gift,  comprehended  in  the 
divine  word  or  purpose  of  salvation,  of  which  Jesus  is  the 
impersonation,  and  the  New  Jerusalem  an  exposition. 
The  peace  connected  with  this  grace,  and  involved  in  it, 
must  be  the  reconciliation  (between  God  and  man)  re- 
sulting from  that  divine  plan  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

As  the  grace  set  forth  in  the  vision  is  the  same  as  that 
alluded  to  in  the  preface,  so  the  source  of  that  grace  is  the 
same  as  that  which  at  the  close  is  termed  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

On  the  first  occasion  this  grace  is  said  to  be  from  Him 
"which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come"     an  at- 

*  §  551. 

18 


410  EPILOGUE. 

tribute  of  him,  who  declares  himself  to  be  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  Ahnighty,  and  who  is  in  the  end  identified 
with  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  also  said  to  be  from  the  seven 
spirits  which  are  before  his  throne — ^the  seven  spirits  of 
God  declared  to  be  an  attribute  of  the  Lamb,  (Jesus 
Christ,)  symbohzed  by  his  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes.  And 
lastly,  it  is  said  to  be  "from  Jesus  Christ,  thie  faithful 
witness,  the  first  born  of  the  dead,  and  the  Prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth,"  a  title  equivalent  to  that  of  "  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords,"  an  appellation  both  of  the  Lamb 
and  the  Word  of  God  in  the  Apocalypse,  as  it  is  also  of 
Jehovah  in  the  book  of  Daniel. 

The  seven  spirits  of  God  being,  as  we  ajjprehend,  an 
equivalent  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  source  of  grace  and 
peace  corresponds  with  that  of  the  river  of  the  water  of 
life,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb, 
which,  as  we  have  remarked  in  its  place,  must  be  in  fact 
the  throne  of  God  Ahnighty — ^the  seat^  not  of  two  distinct 
Beings,  but  of  one  supreme  Being.  Of  that  Being  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  manifestation,  as  he  is  also  himself  the  imper- 
sonation of  the  grace  spoken  of:  for  either  of  which  reasons 
it  maybe  said  to  be  "  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;" 
while,  as  in  the  process  of  imveiling,  the  Lamb  and  the  Word 
are  identified  with  Him  who  sat  on  the  throne,  so  the 
grace  alluded  to  in  these  invocations,  and  represented  in 
the  vision,  must  actually  proceed  from  the  same  divine 
occupant  of  the  throne,  who  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper 
and  a  sardine  stone,  who  held  the  sealed  book  in  his  right 
hand,  and  of  whose  will^  or  purpose,  that  book  unsealed  is 
a  development. 

The  grace  exhibited,  whatever  may  be  the  mtermediate 


THE   COMING   OF   JESUS.  411 

representations,  can  be  therefore  no  other  than  the  sove- 
reign GKACE  OP  God — "the  grace  of  God  that  brmgeth  sal- 
vation," (Titus  2:11;)  the  head  stone,  referred  to  by  the 
prophet,  to  be  brought  forth  (revealed)  with  shoutings, 
(Zech.  4  :  1.) 

The  result  of  the  whole  development  thus  accords  with 
the  e7id,  to  which  we  have  more  than  once  adverted,  when 
the  Son,  having  brought  aU  things  into  subjection  unto 
himself,  gives  up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  that  God 
may  be  manifested  to  be  aU  in  aU,*  (1  Cor.  15  :  28.) 

*  §§  552-560. 


412  EPILOGUE. 


CHAPTER   11. 

Reteospect. 

symbolic  clouds — symbolic  comtefg  ok  m^veiling ^ap- 
plication to  the  seven  chueches. 

Having  exhibited,  in  the  first  part  of  this  work,  the  cor- 
respondence in  arrangement  of  the  Apocalypse  with  the 
form  of  the  ancient  Greek  drama,  showing  the  unity  and 
tissue  of  the  plot  in  the  victorious  progress  of  the  con- 
queror, and  having  subsequently,  with  the  aid  of  this  ar- 
rangement, taken  a  rapid  analogical  survey  of  the  whole 
vision,  by  way  of  ascertaining  the  purport  of  its  my^A,  it 
seems  to  be  necessary,  at  the  expense  of  some  repetition,  to 
take  a  retrospective  glance  of  the  ground  gone  over,  to 
justify  the  apprehension  entertained  of  this  revelation,  or 
unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ  as  something  equivalent  to  his 
coming^  or  to  what  is  commonly  termed  his  second  advent. 

A  new  interest  seems  to  be  given  to  the  annunciation, 
"  Behold,  he  cometh  with  clouds,"  (Rev.  1  :  Y,)  when  con- 
templated as  i^ointing  directly  to  the  subsequent  matter 
of  the  book.  As  if  we  were  to  ask,  "  Where  are  we  to 
look  for  this  coming  in  the  clouds?"  and  the  answer 
should  be  given,  "  In  the  vision  immediately  about  to  be 
described." 

Here,  we  say,  Jesus  comes  or  unveils  himself  to  the  mind 
of  the  reader  in  symbolic  clouds — clouds  of  symbols  and 


SYMBOLIC   CLOUDS.  413 

figurative  language.  As  with  the  figure  drawn  from  na- 
ture, so  with  the  symbols  here  employed,  there  are  dark 
as  well  as  fight  clouds :  the  darkening  clouds  of  error  must 
first  be  dissipated,  before  the  bright  clouds  of  truth  can 
be  discerned. 

To  perceive  the  gradual  character  of  this  development, 
we  must,  as  elsewhere  suggested,  divest  our  minds  for  a 
season  of  the  knowledge  we  have  of  Jesus  Christ  from 
other  portions  of  the  written  word;  although  we  are  bound 
to  compare  afterwards  what  we  suppose  to  be  the  purport 
of  the  book  with  all  that  is  revealed  of  him  in  other  por- 
tions of  the  sacred  writings ;  the  truth  being  thus  confirmed 
as  by  the  mouth  of  two  witnesses. 

The  opening  of  the  sealed  book  by  the  Lamb  as  it  had 
been  slain,  the  going  forth  of  the  four  mounted  warriors, 
the  cry  of  the  souls  under  the  altar  for  vengeance,  the 
earthquake,  the  blackness  of  the  sun,  the  falling  of  the 
stars,  the  departure  of  heaven  as  a  scroll,  the  removal  of 
mountains  and  islands  from  their  places,  and  the  dread  of 
the  wi'ath  of  the  Lamb  on  the  part  of  the  dwellers  upon 
the  earth,  (all  symboHc  clouds,)  appear  to  us  as  clouds  of 
a  dark,  threatening,  or  at  least  ambiguous  character,  till 
we  learn  afterwards  more  of  their  import.  As  in  the  cor- 
responding physical  phenomena,  while  the  sun  is  hidden 
from  our  sight  by  dense  exhalations  from  the  earth,  dark- 
ness and  despondency  take  possession  of  our  imaginations, 
but  when  the  mists  break  away,  and  the  clouds  reach  a 
position  in  which  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  reflected  from 
them,  all  appear  radiant  with  beauty ;  and  admiration, 
hope,  and  bright  anticipation  are  the  prevailing  sentiments 
inspired — so  it  is  in  the  process  of  this  vision.    It  is  not 


414  EPILOGUE. 

till  we  perceive  the  gracious  features  of  the  divine  plan  of 
redemption,  reflecting  from  these  symbolic  clouds,  (as  ex- 
hibited at  the  close,)  that  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  appears 
indeed  to  rise  with  healing  in  his  wings. 

The  mission  of  the  four  angels  to  withhold  the  four  winds 
of  the  earth,  seems  a  dark  cloud,  for  we  know  not  its 
real  portent ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  the  sealing  of  the 
144,000,  the  choral  scene  in  heaven,  and  the  explanation 
of  the  elders,  (Rev.  7  :  4-17,)  are  white  clouds,  affording, 
as  it  were,  amidst  the  earthly  gloom  a  glimpse  of  brighter 
scenes  above. 

The  development  resulting  from  the  sounding  of  the 
first  six  trumpets,  the  three  woes,  the  emanations  from  the 
bottomless  pit  and  from  the  great  river  Euphrates,  the 
possession  of  the  outer  court  of  the  temple  and  the  holy 
city  by  the  Gentiles,  the  prophesying  of  the  witnesses  in 
sackcloth,  the  triumph  over  them  of  the  beast  from  the 
bottomless  pit  and  the  rejoicing  of  the  dweUers  upon  the 
earth  over  their  dead  bodies,  are  again  symbolic  clouds, 
apparently  of  the  same  dark  import ;  but  the  choral  scene 
on  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  and  the  results  of 
the  war  in  heaven,  afford  us,  as  bright  clouds,  the  assur- 
ance that  here,  as  in  aU  other  arrangements  of  the  Ruler 
of  the  universe,  although  clouds  and  darkness  are  round 
about  him,  justice  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his 
throne. 

The  reign  of  the  ten-horned  beast,  the  worship  paid  to 
his  image,  and  the  influence  of  the  false  prophet,  appear 
to  be  still  dark  clouds,  but  their  effect  is  amply  counter- 
acted by  the  appearance  of  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion, 
the  denunciations  of  the  heavenly  messengers,   and  the 


SYMBOLIC   CLOUDS.  415 

blessedness  annoimced  by  the  voice  from  heaven,  (Rev. 
14  :  13.)  The  appearance  of  the  "  one  like  unto  the  Son 
of  Man,"  on  the  shining  white  cloud  ;*  the  harvest  and 
vintage  of  the  earth ;  and  the  choral  song  in  heaven  of 
those  that  chant  the  odes  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb,  are 
bright  clouds,  indicative  of  the  coming  so  long  antici- 
pated. 

The  effusions  of  the  seven  vials,  or  rather  the  results  of 
these  effusions,  are  dark  clouds,  indeed,  to  the  tribes  of 
the  earth ;  but  we  have  learnt  now  that  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb,  so  much  dreaded  by  "the  dwellers  upon  the 
earth,"  is  directed  against  elements  of  error  only;  as 
with  the  barrier  intervening  between  the  children  of 
Israel  and  their  Egyptian  pursuers,  the  same  cloudy  ele- 
ment which  causes  darkness  and  bewilderment  to  the 
enemies  of  truth,  affords  Hght,  and  encouragment,  and 
guidance  to  its  advocates. 

The  combination  of  the  beast,  the  dragon,  and  false 
prophet,  in  summoning  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  the  battle 
of  the  great  day,  appears  at  first  a  cloud  of  ambiguous 
import,  but  when  we  perceive  in  it  the  arrangement  of 
the  Great  Ruler  of  all,  to  effect  the  final  destruction  of 
the  earthly  systems  opposed  to  his  purpose  of  grace^ 
it  is  a  bright  cloud  to  the  lovers  of  that  blessed  truth. 
The  description  of  Babylon  in  her  glory  (Rev.  17  :  1-6) 
would  appear  a  dark  cloud  had  it  not  been  immediately 
preceded  by  the  declaration  of  her  (5oming  in  remembrance 

*  It  is  not  merely  because  of  the  figure  that  we  consider  this  a  symboli- 
cal cloud ;  it  is  not  the  personal  form  of  Jesus  that  is  here  unveiled,  it  is 
the  nvystery  hid  in  him,  of  which  all  the  figures  employed  in  the  develop* 
ment,  are  the  clouds  in  which  he  comes. 


416  EPILOGUE. 

before  God,  and  succeeded  by  an  expansion  (in  the  par- 
ticulars given  of  her  destruction)  of  all  that  is  to  be  un- 
derstood by  that  reinemhrance  of  her  iniquities. 

The  operation  of  the  seventh  vial  upon  the  air,  effects  a 
total  change  in  the  symboUc  atmosphere.  The  last 
choral  scene  (Rev.  19  :  1-7)  is  mdeed  a  bright  cloud. 
The  dark  clouds  of  error  disappear,  or  are  only  seen  to  be 
manifestly  overcome  by  the  rays  of  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness. Heaven  opens :  the  appearance  of  the  rider  of  the 
white  horse  with  the  armies  of  heaven,  his  victory  over 
the  beast  and  false  prophet  and  their  earthly  forces,  the 
confinement  of  Satan,  the  judgment  given  the  witnesses 
of  Jesus,  the  final  perdition  of  Satan  and  of  his  Gog  and 
Magog  forces,  the  great  white  throne,  the  judgment  of 
Him  that  sat  upon  that  throne,  the  end  of  the  sea  and 
the  doom  of  death  and  hell,  the  appearance  of  the  new 
heaven  and  the  new  earth,  the  marriage  feast  of  the 
Bride,  (the  New  Jerusalem,)  and  the  particulars  of  her 
glory  as  a  city,  her  gates,  her  walls,  her  street,  her  river, 
her  tree  of  fife,  with  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Larnh  in 
the  midst  of  the  city,  are  all  bright  symbolic  clouds  usher- 
ing in  the  unveiling  of  Jesus,  and  corresponding  with  the 
annunciation,  "  Behold,  he  cometh  in  the  clouds.'''' 

Having  thus  given  our  views  of  what  is  to  be  under- 
stood by  the  clouds  alluded  to  in  the  declaration  above, 
we  have  next  to  trace  the  symbolical  coining  or  unveiling 
of  Jesus  Christ,  as  here  represented. 

The  title  of  the  book  is  (properly)  the  unveiling  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  the  annunciation  in  the  preface,  "  Behold,  he 
cometh,"  informs  us  that  this  coming  consists  in  the  im- 
veiling  alluded  to  in  the  title.      The  declaration  of  the 


THE   COMING    OR   UNYEILING.  417 

speaker,  in  connection  with  this  annunciation,  "I  am 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  which 
is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Almighty," 
affords  us  the  further  information  that  he  who  is  the 
Alpha  and  Omega  is  the  ALMIGHTY,  as  he  is  also  He 
that  Cometh.  We  are  now  to  learn  from  the  subsequent 
relation  how  this  is  to  be  understood. 

John,  being  in  spirit  in  the  day  of  the  Lord,  heard  a 
voice  behind  him,  saying,  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
first  and  the  last ;"  and  turning  around  to  discover  the 
speaker,  he  sees  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man — a  likeness 
in  respect  to  which  the  beloved  disciple  of  Jesus,  who 
leaned  on  his  bosom  at  the  last  supper,  could  not  be  mis- 
taken ;  as  neither  can  there  be  any  mistake  in  supposing 
that,  by  the  appellation  of  the  8on  of  Man^  the  apostle 
referred  to  his  divine  master ;  the  inference,  therefore,  is 
that  Jesus  Christ  Tvas  here  the  speaker,  declaring  himself 
to  be  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  and  of  consequence  the 
Almighty  ;  still  this  is  but  a  matter  of  inference.  The 
declaration,  however,  "  I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead, 
and,  behold,  I  am  ahve  for  evermore,"  places  the  matter 
beyond  dispute,  that  the  "  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man" 
was  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  our  sins,  and  was  raised 
for  our  justification.  This  being  the  case,  Jesus  is  here  sym- 
bolically unveiled  as  the  Ancient  of  Days  :  his  head  and 
his  hairs  white  as  wool,  and  his  eyes  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and 
his  feet  as  fine  brass.  Described  as  such,  the  one  Hke  unto 
the  Son  of  Man  declares  himself  in  one  of  the  epistles  to 
be  the  Son  of  God,  (Rev.  2  :  18.) 

On  the  apostle's  being  first  called  up  into  heaven,  he 
sees  the  throne,  and  one  who  sat  upon  it,  to  whom,  alone, 
18* 


418  EPILOGUE. 

the  adoration  of  the  surrounding  elements  is  paid,  as  to 
the  Lord  God  Almighty ;  but  when  the  process  of  unseal- 
ing the  mystic  book  commences,  "  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been 
slain,"  is  seen  in  the  midst  of  the  throne^  and  to  this 
Lamb  honors  are  ascribed  by  the  attending  chorus  of  liv- 
ing creatures,  elders,  angels,  and  all  created  beings,  equal 
to  those  given  to  the  Sovereign  on  the  throne. 

This  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  is  designated  as  the 
Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  root  of  David,  both 
appellations  well  known  to  apply  to  the  Messiah  of  the 
prophets,  and  to  him  who  was  pointed  out  by  the  Baptist 
as  the  Lamb  of  God.  Jesus  is  thus  here  unveiled,  not 
merely  as  an  attribute  but  as  an  element  itself  of  divine 
sovereignty,  and  an  object  of  worship  and  adoration ;  for 
we  can  not  but  recognize  by  these  tokens,  in  the  Lamb 
once  slain,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  Man  and  the  Son  of 
God. 

As  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  the  Lamb  once  slain,  "  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne,"  the  element  of  divine  propitiation 
or  vicarious  sacrifice,  is  unveiled  in  Jesus  Christ,  as  iden- 
tical with  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty ;  of  which, 
however,  we  are  to  find  a  further  development  in  the  pro- 
cess of  the  vision. 

It  is  not  only  as  the  element  of  divine  propitiation  that 
Jesus  is  to  be  revealed  ;  we  are  yet  to  see,  in  the  symbol- 
ical representation  about  to  be  given,  an  impersonation,  in 
Jesus  Christ,  of  the  divine  will,  mind,  and  purpose,  in  the 
matter  of  man's  salvation  by  sovereign  grace.  Of  this 
development,  the  element  of  divine  propitiation,  wrought 
out  in  Christ,  is  the  instrmnent,  as  shadowed  forth  in  the 
opening  of  the  sealed  book  by  the  Lamb  as  it  had  heen 


THE   COMING    OR   UNVEILING.  419 

slain — an  operation,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  to  be  effect- 
ed by  none  other. 

The  appearance  (on  the  opening  of  the  first  seal)  of  the 
conqueror,  going  forth  to  conquer,  or  to  overcome,  al- 
though a  white  cloud  in  the  coining  of  Jesus,  is  not  seen 
to  be  such  till  toward  the  close  of  the  vision,  when  the 
same  conqueror  is  announced  as  the  Word  of  God,  bear- 
ing also  the  title  of  the  "King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of 
lords."  Meantime  we  have,  in  the  account  given  of  the 
war  in  heaven,  the  assurance  that  the  Lamb  is  the  "King 
of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords,"  thus  giving  us  the  informa- 
tion that  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Lamb  of  God  are  one  ; 
Jesus  accordingly  here  unveils  himself  in  two  characters — 
as  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  as  the  Word  of  God.  At  least, 
so  we  may  infer  from  the  correspondence  of  these  appella- 
tions, but  the  supposition  is  to  be  further  confirmed  by 
the  narrative,  the  Lamb,  Jesus,  being  declared  to  be  the 
source  of  purification,  in  whose  atoning  blood  the  multi- 
tude of  the  redeemed  wash  their  robes,  and  who,  by  virtue 
of  his  divine  sovereignty,  {in.  the  midst  of  the  throne,) 
leads  them  to  fountains  of  living  water,  (Rev.  7  :  17.) 

As  the  Lamb  in  the  heavenly  scene,  he  is  unveiled  or 
seen  to  be  the  element  of  divine  propitiation,  saved  from 
the  power  of.  the  broken  law  by  the  attribute  of  divine 
sovereignty,  recognized  in  the  infant  caught  up  to  God 
and  his  throne,  the  man-child  destined  to  rule  the  nations 
with  a  rod  of  iron,  (Rev.  12  : 1-5 ;)  the  same  power  of 
divine  sovereignty,  (Michael  and  his  angels,)  overcoming 
the  dragon  and  his  angels,  casting  the  legal  accuser  out  of 
the  divine  counsels.  As  the  Lamb,  it  is  by  the  power  of 
his  blood  that  the  same  avenger  of  the  broken  law  is  over 


420  EPILOGUE. 

come  by  the  elements  of  the  divine  purpose  of  grace,  (the 
brethren.) 

As  the  Lamb,  the  element  of  divine  propitiation,  Jesus 
(the  Saviour)  is  imveiled,  with  the  144,000  elements 
of  revealed  truth,  resting  upon  the  foundation  of  sovereign 
grace,  the  Mount  Zion,  the  site  of  the  city  of  the  Hving 
God,  the  foundation  of  the  whole  economy  of  redemption. 

As  the  Lamb,  the  element  of  vicarious  sacrifice,  Jesus 
Christ  u?iveiled  is  seen  to  be  the  overcomer,  or  conqueror, 
of  the  ten  legal  kings ;  for  the  reason  given  that  he  is 
"  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings,"  a  title  to  be  ascribed 
only  to  the  Supreme  Being,  (Dan.  2  :  47,)  but  now  shown 
to  be  (as  predicted  by  the  apostle  Paul)  the  title  also  of 
the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  declared  to  be  the  Son 
of  God,  (1  Tim.  6:15.) 

As  the  Lamb,  Jesus  is  revealed  to  be  the  husband  of 
the  New  Jerusalem,  the  Bride  at  first  announced  as  ready 
for  the  marriage  feast,  and  subsequently  seen  descending 
from  God  out  of  heaven.  The  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  this  particular  is  thus  a  development  of  the  mystery  re- 
ferred to  by  the  apostle  Paul,  (Eph.  5  :  31,  32,)  symbolized 
by  the  accounted  oneness^  or  identity,  of  two  parties  to  the 
marriage  tie.  We  accordingly  learn  from  this  illustration 
that  the  Lamb  and  the  holy  city,  or  Jerusalem  froon 
ahove^  are  two  figures  of  the  same  thing :  that  whatever 
may  be  represented  by  either  of  these  figures,  may  be  pre- 
dicated of  the  other.  Henceforth  in  Jesus  Christ,  unveil- 
ed, we  are  to  contemplate  both  the  element  of  divine  pro- 
pitiation and  that  New  Testament,  or  plan  of  salvation  by 
grace,  of  which  the  "  Jerusalem  above"  is  a  figure.  Final- 
ly, in  the  Lamb,  as  an  occupant  with  God  of  one  and  the 


THE   COMING   OR   UNVEILING.  421 

same  throne  or  seat  of  divine  sovereignty,  Jesus  Christ  is 
revealed  to  be,  as  declared  of  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
Almighty. 

Let  us  now  see  how  Jesus  Christ  is  progressively  un- 
veiled in  the  character  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  subject  of  the  representation  is  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb^  yet,  except  in  the  overcoming  in  heaven  of  the  ac- 
cuser by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  of  the  ten  legal  kings 
by  his  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  we  do  not  find  this 
wrath  spoken  of  as  that  of  the  Lamb,  subsequent  to  the 
panic  scene  of  the  sixth  seal.  We  perceive,  however,  in 
the  course  of  the  narrative,  that  the  objects  of  this  wrath, 
and  the  execution  of  it,  are  there  described.  The  earth, 
with  its  satellites,  as  a  system,  is  subjected  to  the  wrathful 
action  of  hail,  fire,  and  shakings.  The  dwellers  upon  the 
earth,  figuratively  men^  are  subjected  to  the  torturing 
action  of  scorpion-like  locusts  from  the  bottomless  pit,  the 
smoke  of  which  shuts  out  even  the  Ught  of  the  sun.  The 
same  meyi  of  the  earth  (figuratively  the  third  of  men) 
were  destroyed  by  the  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone  of 
the  cavalry  issuing  from  their  own  great  river  Euphrates, 
as  also  by  the  fire  from  the  mouth  of  the  witnesses  in  sack- 
cloth. The  wrath  of  the  Lamb  is  not  here  mentioned,  but 
fire  and  hail  are  figures  of  the  revealed  Word  of  God^  and 
that  Word  of  God  we  find  afterwards  to  be  identified  with 
the  Lamb. 

A  new  series  of  figures  of  the  subjects  and  execution  of 
the  same  wrath  is  next  introduced. 

The  ten-horned  beast  and  his  subjects,  the  image  of  this 
beast  and  its  worshippers,  the  two-horned  beast  or  false 
prophet,  and  those  deluded  by  him,  are  all  objects  of  this 


422  EPILOGUE. 

wrath,  as  appears  in  their  end;  these,  as  were  those  suffer- 
ing from  the  locust  and  scorpion  visitations,  being  all  "  in- 
habiters  of  the  earth,"  concerning  whom  the  three  woes 
are  pronounced,  and  that  these  three  woes  are  expressions 
of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

Babylon,  (the  image  of  the  beast,)  both  as  a  woman  and 
as  a  city,  is  destroyed  hjjire,  the  action  of  the  Word  of 
God.  The  ten-horned  beast  and  the  false  prophet,  and  their 
auxiliaries,  are  overcome  and  destroyed  by  the  same  Word 
of  God,  acting  by  the  sword  out  of  his  mouth,  by  the  fowls 
of  heaven,  and  by  the  fire  of  the  lake  burning  with  brim- 
stone. 

As  a  consequence  of  the  victory  over  the  beast  and  his 
allies,  the  execution  of  the  same  wrath  of  the  Lamb  by 
the  Word  of  God  is  seen  m  the  confinement  of  Satan  by 
the  angel  from  heaven  with  the  great  chain  and  the  key 
of  the  bottomless  pit,  the  messenger,  or  message,  with  the 
chain  and  key  representing  a  corresponding  development 
of  the  revealed  word. 

The  same  wrath,  whether  termed  that  of  the  Lamb  or 
that  of  God,  is  executed  by  the  same  Word  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Gog  and  Magog  forces  hjJlre  from  heaven,  as 
it  is  also  in  the  final  condemnation  and  perdition  of  Satan, 
death  and  hell,  and  of  all  doomed  to  the  fire  of  the  second 
death.  Even  the  fleeing  away  of  the  old  heaven  and  the 
old  earth  fi-om  the  face  of  Him  that  sat  on  the  great  white 
throne,  (the  Word  of  God,)  may  be  considered  a  result  of 
the  execution  of  the  same  wrath,  as  well  as  the  final  ex- 
clusion of  the  sea  from  any  place  in  the  new  creation.* 

*  The  New  Jerusalem  or  holy  city  being  the  Word  of  God,  and  as  such 


THE  COMING  OK  UNVEILING.  423 

We  thus  see  tliat  while  the  subject  of  the  vision  is  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb,  the  executor  of  that  wrath  is  the 
Word  of  God;  the  objects  against  which  this  wrath  is  di- 
rected being  the  errors  of  the  earthly  system  of  self-justi- 
fication and  self-propitiation,  however  differently  mani- 
fested. While  the  Lamb,  the  element  of  propitiation,  over- 
comes in  heaven  the  di'agon,  (the  accuser  under  the  broken 
law,)  the  Word  of  God  overcomes  on  earth  the  principles 
hostile  to  the  divine  plan  of  salvation,  by  the  sword  of  his 
mouth,  and  by  fire  fi-om  heaven,  the  weapons  of  this  war- 
fare :  that  is,  written  revelation  rightly  understood.  The 
inference  is  that  the  Lamb  and  the  Word  of  God  are  two 
appellations  of  the  same  Being ;  but  we  are  not  left  to  this 
inference  alone. 

The  marriage  celebration  of  the  Lamb  with  his  Bride, 
the  New  Jerusalem,  exhibits  the  onetiess  of  these  two 
figures :  the  particulars  of  the  holy  city  illustrating  the 
abundant  provisions  of  sovereign  grace  in  Jesus  Christ, 
(Ms  fullness,)  for  the  eternal  life  of  his  followers ;  his 
righteousness  being  their  wall  of  salvation,  he  himself 
the  way  and  the  gate,  his  atoning  sacrifice  the  river  of 
the  water  of  life,  his  merits  the  fruit,  and  his  power  to 
heal  the  poison  of  the  sting  of  death,  being  the  leaves  of 
the  tree  of  hfe ;  he  himself,  with  all  this  fiiUness,  being 
the  precious  truth  symbolized  in  the  golden  site  and  ma- 
terials, and  resplendent  garniture  of  the  heavenly  city;  he, 
too,  is  its  Hght,  (its  righteousness,)  as  "  in  him  there  is  no 
darkness  at  all ;"  and  he  is  all  this  because,  being  the 
Word  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  he  is  one  with  God. 

one  with  the  Lamb,  the  exclusion  of  certain  reprobate  elements  from  the 
city,  is  another  figure  of  the  same  wrath— all  these  figures  being  coincident 


424  EPILOGUE. 

In  the  person  of  the  Word  of  God  (the  conqueror) 
operating  on  earth  by  the  sword  of  his  mouth,  Jesus 
Christ  unveiled^  exhibits  himself  as  the  overcomer  of  all 
earthly  systems,  or  erroneous  views  of  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, bringing  them  all  mto  subjection  to  the  divine  plan 
of  sovereign  grace,  of  which  he  is  the  impersonation. 

As  the  manifestation  of  truth  overcomes  its  opposite 
error,  the  elements  of  legahty,  self-righteousness,  and  self- 
dependence,  being  first  tried  by  the  true  sense  of  the  law, 
(the  mind  or  Word  of  God,)  exposing  their  fallacy,  are  at 
last  entii-ely  overcome  by  being  brought  into  immediate 
comparison  with  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

The  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb  exhibits  the  oneness 
of  the  Lamb,  and  consequently  of  the  Word,  with  Him 
who  is  alone  to  be  worshipped,  thus  setting  the  seal  of 
divine  sovereignty  upon  the  whole  process  previously  re- 
presented. 

We  have,  lastly,  the  declaration  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  fi*om 
his  own  lips,  that  he  is  "  the  root  of  David,"  which  iden- 
tifies him  with  the  Lamb,  (Rev.  5  :  5,)  and  that  he  is  the 
bright  morning  star,  identifying  him  with  the  Word  of 
God,  (the  conqueror.  Rev.  2  :  28 ;)  both  of  these  figures 
indicating  his  place  on  the  throne  of  God,  in  accordance 
with  the  title  elsewhere  given  him,  of  "  the  blessed  and 
only  potentate,  the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords," 
(1  Tim.  6  :  15.)  As  King  of  kings,  under  the  figure  of 
the  Lamb,  he  overcomes  the  ten  legal  kings  ;  as  King  of 
kings,  in  the  person  of  the  Word  of  God,  he  overcomes  the 
adversary  of  his  cross,  (the  divine  purpose  of  salvation.) 
Seen  as  the  Lamb  and  as  the  conqueror,  sitting  on  the 
throne  of  God,  he  justifies  the  appellation  given  him  by 


APPLICATION   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  425 

the  apostle  Paul,  that  of  being  "  over  all,  God  blessed  for 
evermore." 

As  the  Lamb  and  the  Lamb  enthroned,  Jesus  is  reveal- 
ed the  vicarious  sacrifice,  emanating  from  and  sustained 
by  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty — the  child  caught 
up  to  God  and  his  throne.  As  the  Word  of  God,  he  is 
the  divine  purpose  of  salvation  spoken  of  by  Jehovah, 
(Is.  41  :  10,)  as  the  right  hand  of  his  righteousness — a 
truth  correspondiug  with  the  purport  of  what  is  elsewhere 
declared  of  him  as  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  God^  (Acts 
2  :  33;  5  :  31,)  whence  it  is  perceived  that  there  is  no 
discrepancy  between  the  representations  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment and  those  of  the  New  Testament.  Jehovah  is  the 
Lord  our  righteousness  as  he  was  in  Christ  reconciling 
the  world  unto  himself.  The  development  of  "  the  mys- 
tery of  God,"  in  this  respect,  may  be  said  to  be  inter- 
changeable ;  the  manifestation  of  the  oneness  of  Christ 
with  God,  being  equivalent  to  that  of  the  giving  up  of  the 
reign  or  kingdom  by  the  Son  to  the  Father,  that  God 
may  be  recognized  to  be  "  all  in  aU." 

Such,  we  think,  are  the  clouds,  and  such  the  unveiling 
or  coining  of  Jesus  Christ  with  clouds^  to  which  the  at- 
tention of  every  reader  of  the  Apocalypse  is  called  in  the 
commencement  of  what  is  commonly  termed  the  Book 
of  Revelation,  but  of  which  the  proper  title,  as  given  it  by 
the  inspired  penman,  is  "  The  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ.'*'* 

Application  to  the  Seven  Churches. 

From  the  tenor  of  the  epistles  to  the  churches,  introduc- 
tory to  the  main  purport  of  the  Apocalypse,  we  have 


426  EPILOGUE. 

assumed  that  the  account  given  of  the  vision,  from  the 
opening  of  the  door  in  heaven  to  its  termination,  is  to  be 
considered  as  transmitted  to  those  churches,  primarily,  for 
the  purpose  of  correctiag  certain  errors  with  which  some 
of  them  were  chargeable,  and  to  the  influence  of  which 
others  were  exposed ;  ultimately  to  counteract  the  influ- 
ence of  hke  errors  to  which  the  visible  Church  of  Christ 
might,  in  a  subsequent  period,  be  subjected.  We  are  now 
to  see  how  the  illustrations  of  the  exhibition  apply  to  the 
purpose  supposed. 

As  stars,  or  lights,  of  Christian  churches,  the  angels  must 
have  been  previously  acquainted  with  the  writings  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament,  excepting  this  last  work  of  the 
beloved  apostle,  supposed  to  have  been  written  in  a  later 
period  of  the  Christian  era  than  that  in  which  other  por- 
tions of  the  New  Testament  were  circulated.  The  Apoca- 
lypse, accordingly,  contains  no  other  Gospel  than  that 
shadowed  forth  in  the  Old  Testament,  preached  and  exem- 
plified by  Jesus  Christ  while  on  earth,  and  taught  by 
Paul  and  other  apostles  after  his  ascension.  Even  the 
mention  of  Jezebel,  Balaam,  Babylon,  Sodom,  indicates 
the  supposed  acquaintance  of  those  to  whom  the  commu- 
nication is  sent,  with  the  historical  facts  and  tyj^ical  and 
prophetical  allusions  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  errors  alluded  to  in  the  epistles  appear  to  be,  as 
already  noticed,  those  of  self-sufficiency,  self-justification, 
self-righteousness,  and  self-propitiation — errors  not  openly 
avowed,  but  creeping  in  and  mixing  themselves  up  with 
principles  of  truth,  in  certain  systems  of  faith — errors 
arising,  not  from  unbelief  in,  or  a  rejection  of  the  author- 
ity of  revelation,  but  from  a  false  view,  a  misapplication 


APPLICATION   TO   THE    CHURCHES.  427 

or  misconstructioii  of  the  language  and  tenor  of  the  sacred 
writings — errors  in  the  visible  Church,  and  not  out  of  the 
Church ;  but,  such  as  they  are,  tending  to  lead  the  disciple 
to  a  dependence  upon  his  own  merit  of  some  kind  in  the 
work  of  his  salvation ;  virtually  ascribing  to  himself  the 
glory  due  only  to  God.  Hence  the  Ephesian  angel's  loss 
of  his  first  love,  and  the  nauseous  lukewarmness  of  the 
Laodicean,  as  if  the  sinner  saved  were  the  champion  of  his 
own  cause,  and  eternal  happiness  and  glory  were  the  re- 
ward of  his  own  victories.  Professing  an  adherence  to 
the  faith  of  Christ,  as  we  may  presume  even  the  Laodicean 
to  have  done,  he  is  really  seeking  to  glorify  himself,  what- 
ever may  be  his  works,  in  estabHshing  a  claim  to  that 
eternal  life  which  should  be  considered,  as  it  is,  the  free 
gift  of  sovereign  grace. 

To  meet  these  erroneous  views,  besides  the  reproofs  ad- 
ministered, a  promise  is  given  in  each  of  the  epistles  to  him 
who  shall  prove  himself  the  conqueror,  the  overcoming 
one ;  and  to  prevent  any  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  self- 
dependent  errorist,  in  supposing  these  promises  to  be 
made  to  himself,  and  their  fulfillment  to  be  the  reward  of 
his  own  prowess,  accompanying  the  epistles  a  symbohcal 
account  is  given  of  the  progress  of  one  who  is  seen  going 
forth  in  the  first  instance  a  conqueror,  and  to  conquer  or 
overcome,  and  whose  successfiil  career  points  him  out  as 
the  victorious  combatant,  to  whom  the  promises  and  the 
glory  imphed  in  them  are  due,  and  by  whom,  as  it  is  ex- 
hibited, they  are  actually  enjoyed. 

We  may  now  suppose  the  errorist,  whether  angel  or 
disciple,  to  examine  these  promises  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  if  he  can  in  any  case  hope  to  attribute  them 


428  EPILOGUE. 

to  himself;  and  finding  a  difficulty  here,  he  next  searches 
the  narrative  for  one  whose  success  as  a  conqueror  is  so 
represented  as  evidently  to  entitle  him  to  that  appellation, 
and  consequently  to  a  fruition  of  the  promises  in  ques- 
tion. The  individual  bemg  fixed  upon,  the  next  inquiry  is 
whether  the  rewards  promised  have  been  so  bestowed. 

Upon  examination,  the  contest  in  contemplation  is  found 
to  be  that  of  doctrinal  truth  with  error  in  matters  of 
faith.  There  is  but  one  conqueror  represented,  although 
his  action  is  spoken  of  under  different  figures  ;  he  is  par- 
ticularly designated  as  the  Word  of  God ;  and  that  he  is 
the  overcoming  one  is  confirmed  in  the  result  by  his  en- 
joyment of  the  rewards  promised. 

A  disciple  (such  even  the  angel  of  a  church  may  be) 
might  suppose  the  promises  of  partaking  of  the  tree  of  life, 
of  escaping  the  second  death,  and  of  having  his  name  con- 
fessed before  God,  apphcable  to  his  own  case,  as  weU  as 
that  of  a  multitude  of  his  fellow  believers,  (as  indeed  they 
may  be,  apart  from  the  subject  under  consideration;)  but 
these  rewards  alone  do  not  identify  the  conqueror,  for  we 
take  it  for  granted,  that  all  the  promises  are  to  be  fulfilled 
to  the  same  individual. 

The  promise  of  the  brilliant  stone  with  the  name  en- 
graved therein,  "  which  no  one  knoweth  but  he  that  re- 
ceiveth  it,"  can  be  appropriated  to  no  other  than  to  him 
who  is  expressly  said  to  have  received  this  mystic  name: 
the  reception  of  the  brilliant  with  the  name  engraved  bemg 
imphed.     (Rev.  19  :  12.) 

A  disciple  can  not  suppose  the  promise  to  rule  the  na- 
tions with  a  rod  or  sceptre  of  iron,  to  be  fulfilled  in  him- 
self: as  he  proceeds  with  the  vision,  he  finds  the  same 


APPLICATION  TO  THE   CHUKCHES.  429 

promise  to  be  an  attribute  of  the  man-child  caught  up  to 
God  and  to  his  throne,  and  further  on  he  finds  it  equally 
predicted  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse — the  Word  of 
God.     (Rev.  19  :  15.) 

The  reward  of  a  clothing  in  white  raiment  is  not  so  pe- 
culiar, but  that  it  may  be  applied  to  the  case  of  a  disciple ; 
but  he  can  not  suppose  himself  to  become  the  immovable 
pillar  in  the  temple  of  God,  upon  which  the  name  of  God, 
the  name  of  the  city  of  God,  (New  Jerusalem,)  and  the 
new  name  of  Jesus  are  to  be  inscribed.  He  looks,  therefore, 
to  the  account  of  this  New  Jerusalem  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  vision,  and  finds  it  to  be  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb. 
Thence,  ascertaining  from  the  apostle  Paul  that  the  New  Je- 
rusalem is  a  figure  of  the  new  covenant,  (the  divine  arrange- 
ment of  grace,)  he  finds  this  city  of  God  and  the  Bride  of 
the  Lamb  to  be  two  figures  of  the  Word  of  God,  the  pos- 
sessor of  the  name  known  only  to  the  recipient  and  the 
ruler  of  the  nations. 

As  to  the  seventh  promise,  it  would  be  almost  blasphemy, 
even  for  an  angel,  to  suppose  that,  in  return  for  any  work 
of  his  own,  he  is  to  sit  with  Christ  upon  the  throne  of  God, 
enjoying  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty  itself.  The 
searcher  has  then  again  recourse  to  what  is  said  of  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse,  called  the  Word  of  God,  and, 
finding  that  Word  to  be  symbolized  as  the  Wife  of  the 
Lamb,  he  perceives  that  it  is  one  with  the  Lamb,  that 
Lamb  being  Jesus  Christ,  the  promisor.  The  promise  is 
thus  fulfilled  in  the  manifestation  of  the  indentity  or  one- 
ness of  the  Word  of  God  with  the  Lamb,  the  Son  of  God. 

Corresponding  with  this  is  the  purport  of  the  last  pro- 


430  EPILOGUE. 

raise,  He  that  overcometh  (conquereth)  shall  inherit  all 
things,  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son. 

To  inherit  all  things,  is  to  be  the  heir  of  all  things,  and 
Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  is  declared  to  be  the  heir  of  all 
things.  As  there  can  not  be  more  then  one  heir  of  all 
things,  it  is  evident  that  we  have  to  resort  to  the  con- 
struction already  adopted,  that  the  manifestation  of  the 
oneness  of  the  Word  of  God  with  the  Lamb,  (Jesus  Christ,) 
constitutes  that  Word  the  Son  of  God  and  the  inheritor  of 
all  things.  According  to  this  construction,  we  see  that  while 
only  a  small  part  of  the  promises  to  the  conqueror  could  be 
in  any  way  applied  to  the  case  of  a  disciple,  all  of  them  can 
be  indisputably  appHed  to  Him  whose  name  was  called  the 
Word  of  God — the  conqueror  of  the  beast,  the  false  pro- 
phet, the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies,  Satan,  the 
sea,  death  and  hell — overcoming  by  the  sword  of  the 
mouth  and  by  the  fire  of  his  revealed  word. 

But  besides  the  key  of  instruction  afforded  in  this  detail 
of  the  victorious  career  of  the  conqueror,  the  errors,  or 
systems  of  error  to  be  contended  with,  or  guarded  against, 
are  set  forth  in  the  same  development  under  the  figures  of 
the  earth  and  its  satellites,  the  dAvellers  upon  the  earth, 
the  nations  or  Gentiles,  the  bottomless  pit  and  its  elements, 
the  great  river  Euphrates,  the  kingdom  of  the  beast,  the 
false  prophet,  the  image  of  the  beast,  (Babylon  and  the 
harlot,)  together  with  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their 
forces,  and  the  «^>,  or  earthly  atmosphere  itself,  aU  re- 
presented as  being  for  a  time  subservient  to  the  powers  of 
darkness,  Satan,  death  and  hell,  but  at  last  overcome  by 
the  Word  of  God,  revealed  in  the  spirit-sense. 


APPLICATION   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  431 

On  the  other  hand,  the  truths,  or  rather  the  one  great 
truth,  to  be  adhered  to,  is  represented  under  the  several 
figures,  or  symbolical  expressions,  of  the  Lamb,  the 
rider  of  the  white  horse,  (the  Word  of  God,)  the  armies 
of  heaven,  the  Bride  or  Wife  of  the  Lamb,  the  holy  city 
or  New  Jerusalem,  the  great  white  throne  and  Him  that 
sat  upon  it,  and  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  all  of 
these  eventually  proving  to  be  different  manifestations  of 
Jehovah  himself,  (beside  whom  there  is  no  Saviour,)  in  the 
person  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Man  and  the  Son 
of  God,  thus  gradually  unveils  himself  to  the  seven 
churches,  as  the  impersonation  of  the  mind  and  attribute 
of  divLue  sovereignty  itself,  as  the  Lamb  or  element  of 
vicarious  sacrifice  overcoming  the  power  of  the  broken 
law,  and  as  the  Word  of  God,  or  plan  of  salvation  by  grace, 
overcoming,  when  fully  revealed,  aU  principles  or  doctrines 
opposed  to  that  plan. 

The  angels  and  churches,  and  those  represented  by  them, 
are  thus  admonished  of  the  folly  and  madness  of  all  preten- 
sions to  self-justification  or  self-dependence  in  matters  of 
faith,  as  well  as  of  the  really  blasphemous  nature  of  such  pre- 
tensions, in  their  tendency  to  deprive  God  ("  Jehovah  our 
Righteousness")  of  the  glory  and  praise  due  to  his  name 
for  the  goodness,  strength,  and  power  manifested  in  the 
work  of  man's  redemption. 

Nor  is  this  all.  If  the  Jirst  love  of  the  Ephesian  errorist 
is  to  be  restored ;  if  Laodicean  lukewarmness  is  to  be  super- 
seded by  fervent  zeal ;  if  the  blasphemy  of  self-righteous- 
ness, and  the  doctrine  of  Balaam  are  to  be  overcome  ;  if 
Jezebelian  false  construction  is  to  be  corrected ;  if  some- 
thing more  than  a  name  to  live  is  to  be  acquired ;  if  works, 


432  EPILOGUE. 

and  labor,  and  patience,  and  devotion  of  self  to  the 
Supreme  Benefactor  are  to  proceed  from  a  grateful  sense 
of  redeeming  mercy,  (Rom.  12  :  1,)  it  must  be  by  such  an 
apprehension  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  as  is  compre- 
hended in  this  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  which  the 
eternal  life  of  the  redeemed  can  not  be  otherwise  contem- 
plated, than  as  the  free,  unmerited  gift  of  God.* 

Application  to  the  Readee. 

As  the  three  favored  disciples  saw  in  a  figure  the  com- 
ing of  the  kingdom  of  God,  or  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
Man  in  his  kingdom,  when,  in  the  transfiguration  on  the 
mount,  a  bright  cloud  overshadowing  them,  they  beheld 
their  Lord  in  raiment  bright  as  the  light,  ministered  unto 
by  Moses  and  Elias,  (as  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  pro- 
phets minister  to  the  development  of  the  Gospel  mystery,) 
so  the  reader  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  may  perceive  in  the 
types,  and  symbols,  and  figurative  language  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, and  of  the  whole  body  of  written  revelation,  the 
coming  of  Jesus,  as  in  a  cloud,  or  in  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
"  with  power  and  great  glory" — with  power  to  save  to 
the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  and  with 
that  glory  of  a  divine  Saviour  which  Jehovah  has  de- 
clared he  will  not  give  to  another,  (Heb.  1:3;  Is.  42  :  8, 
and  48  :  11.) 

Jesus,  the  Lamb  once  slain,  the  Son  of  God,  "  the  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  which  was, 
and  which  is,  and  which  is  to  come,"  here  reveals  himself  as 

*  For  remarks  on  correspondence  of  the  Man  of  Sin  with  the  ten-horned 
beast,  see  Appendix  of  "  Hyponoia." 


TO   THE   EEADEK.  433 

having  overcome  the  power  of  the  broken  law,  the  power 
of  the  legal  accuser,  and  the  powers  of  death  and  hell.  It 
is  for  the  reader  of  this  portion  of  diviae  revelation  to  con- 
sider, whether  he  vnll  trust  his  eternal  welfare  to  this 
Saviour,  or  whether,  seeing  no  beauty  ia  him,  he  prefers 
gomg  about  to  establish  his  own  righteousness,  or  to  pro- 
pitiate the  mercy  of  God  by  some  supposed  meritorious 
acts  or  works  of  his  own. 

As  the  Word  of  God,  Jesus  Christ  unveiled  is  seen  to 
be  the  exponent  of  God's  way  of  salvation  by  sovereign 
grace.  It  is  again  for  the  reader  to  consider,  whether  he 
will  accede  to  that  j^lan  or  way,  convinced  of  his  own  un- 
worthiaess,  and  placing  all  his  hope  of  eternal  life  upon  the 
free  gift  of  God  in  Christ ;  or  whether,  like  the  adversary 
of  the  cross,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  armies, 
under  the  iufluence  of  the  false  prophet,  he  wiU  contend 
with  the  Searcher  of  hearts,  the  Judge  of  all,  upon  the 
platform  of  works,  building  up  for  himself  a  system  of  faith 
and  trust,  as  baseless  as  the  bottomless  pit. 

In  the  one  case,  his  service  of  God  (his  "  reasonable 
service")  will  be  the  fruit  of  his  faith — gratitude  for  the 
benefit  (the  gift)  so  undeservedly  received.  In  the  other 
case,  his  works,  and  labor,  and  patience  will  be  the  off- 
spring of  fear,  or  of  the  desire  of  self-glorification.  Con- 
templating eternal  fife  as  a  fair  exchange  for  his  own  good 
conduct,  and  even  the  forgiveness  of  his  sins  as  purchased 
by  his  own  acts  of  propitiation,  he  loses  sight  of  the  obli- 
gations he  is  under  to  his  heavenly  Benefactor,  and  regards 
himself  as  the  real  author  of  his  own  future  happiness. 

In  the  first  case,  he  vnll  hve  and  move  in  a  new  atmos- 
phere ;  he  will  sec  heaven  new  and  earth  new — a  wall  of 
19 


434  EPILOGUE. 

salvation  around  him,  and  the  river  of  the  water  of  life, 
and  the  tree  of  life  ever  within  his  reach.  In  the  last  case, 
with  the  terror  of  Satan,  (the  legal  accuser,)  the  sea  of  ju- 
dicial wrath,  and  the  condemnation  of  death  and  hell  be- 
fore him,  still  clinging  to  the  old  earth  and  the  old  heaven, 
he  must  remain  without  rest^  hope,  or  comfort;  unless 
deluded  with  the  persuasion  that  he  is  rich,  and  in  need 
of  nothing,  when  he  is  really  poor,  and  naked,  and  blind, 
and  miserable. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTES. 
A. 


THE  SEVEN  SPIRITS  OF  GOD.^Pagb  85. 

The  seven  spirits  symbolized  by  the  lamps  before  the  throne,  appear  to  us 
susceptible  of  the  following  definition : 

1.  The  spirit  of  grace,  (sovereign  grace,)  comprehending  all  that  is  under- 

stood of  election,  foreknowledge,  and  predestination.    (Heb.  10 :  29.) 

2.  The  spirit  of  adoption :  accounted  substitution  in  Christ,  involving  the 

imputation  of  his  merits.    (Rom.  8  :  15.) 

3.  The  spirit  of  regeneration,  (new  birth:)  another  figure  of  the  same  ac- 

counted substitution,  or  sonship.    (John  3  :  5.) 

4.  The  spirit  of  sanctification,  or  holiness,  as  set  apart  in  Christ :  accounted 

holy.    (1  Cor.  6  :  11.) 

5.  The  spirit  of  purification :  the  accounted  cleansing  of  the  atonement  of 

Christ.    (1  Cor.  6  :  11.) 

6.  The  spirit  of  justification :  the  imputation  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 

(1  Cor.  6  :  11.) 

7.  The  spirit  of  glorification :  the  ascription  of  the  glory  of  Christ  to  his 

followers.  (1  Pet.  4  :  14.) 
These  several  operations  are  involved  one  in  and  with  the  others ;  they 
can  not  exist  separately,  and  may  accordingly  be  said  to  be  different  modes 
in  which  the  one  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (the  Word  of  God,  the  Com- 
forter or  Spirit  of  truth)  is  spoken  of.  As  lamps  before  the  throne,  they 
show  forth  the  action  of  divine  sovereignty ;  as  the  seven  horns  of  the  Lamb, 
they  indicate  the  powers  or  results  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ ;  and 
as  the  seven  eyes  of  the  Lamb,  going  forth  through  all  the  earth,  they  act  as 


436  NOTES. 

tests  in  trying  the  opposite  pretensions  of  the  earthly  system.  These  defi- 
nitions, however,  are  only  suggested  by  way  of  illustration. 

It  may  be  objected  to  the  manner  in  which  we  identify  the  Word  of  God 
with  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  it  does  not  accord  with  the  language  of  the  apostle 
John  elsewhere,  (c.  v.:)  "There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,"  (Ghost,)  by  which  it  would  appear 
that  the  Word  and  the  Holy  Spirit  are  two  distinct  subjects  of  contemplation. 
But  a  certain  class  of  Greek  manuscripts,  it  is  said,  have  the  term  Son,  in 
place  of  the  Word,  which  is  also  the  rendering  of  the  Waldensian  version, 
(Nolan,  preface,  p.  18,  ed.  1815,)  "the  Father,  i\iQ  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Aside  from  this,  however,  we  think  the  allusion  here  is  evidently  to  the 
Son,  (the  Word  made  flesh;)  for  we  must  presume  that  Son,  represented  by 
another  apostle  as  ever  at  the  right  hand  of  God  making  intercession  for  us, 
to  be  one  of  these  three  witnesses. 

As  the  word  of  Christ  was  sufficient  to  cure  the  centurion's  servant,  so 
we  may  suppose  the  Word,  or  purpose  of  God,  to  possess  all  the  powers  attri- 
buted to  the  Holy  Spirit ;  at  least,  we  are  not  able  to  define  the  difference. 

B. 

THE  SEVEN  HEADS  OF  THE  BEAST.-Page  267. 

As  the  seven  spirits  of  God  are  equivalent  to  the  one  Holy  Spirit,  so  we 
may  consider  the  seven  heads  of  the  great-dragon,  or  old  serpent,  afterwards 
transferred  to  the  ten-horned  beast,  as  one  head  of  the  adversary  of  man's 
salvation.  And  as  the  seven  spirits  of  God  represent  so  many  features  of  his 
plan  of  salvation  in  the  exercise  of  sovereign  grace,  so  these  seven  heads  of 
the  serpent,  or  beast,  may  represent  so  many  features  of  the  one  deadly  pur- 
pose of  the  adversary,  in  perverting  the  true  ways  of  the  Lord,  so  as  to  bring 
the  disciple  under  the  power  of  the  broken  law,  and  thus  exposing  him  to  the 
action  of  the  sting  of  death.  For  we  may  take  it  for  granted  that  in  the 
head,  or  heads  of  the  serpent,  the  sting  is  comprehended.    (Gen.  3  :  15.) 

We  may  not  be  able  to  define  precisely  the  purport  of  each  of  these  heads, 
but  we  think  it  may  be  the  opposite  severally  of  each  of  the  seven  spirits ;  for 
example,  the  head  of  self-justification  may  be  considered  the  opposite  of  the 
spirit  of  sovereign  grace.  Another  head  may  be  that  delusive  view  of  judi- 
cial wrath  (the  sea)  which  brings  that  wrath  down  to  a  supposed  ability  of  man 
to  meet  it.  A  third  head  may  be  that  of  the  pretended  sufficiency  of  human 
means  of  atonement  by  some  supposed  meritorious  works,  (the  rivers  and 
fountains  of  the  earth.)     A  fourth  head  may  be  exercised  in  darkening  th" 


NOTES.  437 

lights  of  revelation,  (sim,  moon,  aud  stars,)  preventing  a  just  view  of  the 
tlirino  plan  of  grace.  A  fifth  head  may  consist  in  that  false  view  of  repent- 
lince  in  which  there  is  an  absence  of  any  deep  conviction  of  sin.  The  sixth 
head  may  represent  those  mixed  views  we  have  ascribed  to  the  beast  and 
his  image.  The  seventh  head  may  be  put  for  that  purpose  of  self-glorifica- 
tion which  is  represented  especially  in  the  pretensions  of  the  beast. 

The  seven  heads  are  afterwards  said  to  be  seven  mountains,  furnishing  a 
throne,  or  support  to  the  queenly  pretensions  of  the  harlot,  and  are  also 
seven  kings. 

As  mountains,  they  are  fundamental  principles  of  the  harlot's  system,  or 
mystery  of  mixed  and  mercenary  elements ;  corresponding  in  purport  appa- 
rently with  that  ascribed  to  the  heads.  As  kings,  they  are  ruling  principles 
of  the  beast's  system  or  mystery  of  iniquity,  of  which,  it  is  said,  five  are 
fallen,  one  is,  and  one  is  yet  to  come. 

Consistently  with  our  uniform  mode  of  interpretation,  we  apply  the  past 
tense  here  to  matters  represented  as  done  or  completed  in  the  preceding  nar- 
rative, the  present  to  that  which  is  represented  as  still  being  done,  and  the 
future  ("to  come,")  to  that  which  is  still  to  be  manifested:  as  when  we 
pray  that  the  kingdom  of  God  may  come,  we  pray  that  that  kingdom  or  reign 
of  God  may  be  manifested,  knowing  that  God  reigns,  and  has  ever  reigned, 
whether  it  be  so  manifested  to  us  or  not ;  whether  recognized  or  not  by  his 
creatures. 

The  first  of  these  kings  fell,  we  think,  when  the  green  covering  of  the 
earth — the  emblem  of  self-righteousness — was  destroyed,  on  the  sounding  of 
the  first  trumpet.  The  second  fell  on  the  sounding  of  the  second  trumj^et, 
when  the  judicial  element  represented  by  the  sea,  was  seen  to  be  satisfied 
with  nothing  less  than  the  life  or  blood  of  the  criminal.  The  third  king  fell 
on  the  sounding  of  the  third  trumpet,  by  the  action  of  the  star  Wormwood, 
showing  the  bitterness  of  the  earthly  pretended  elements  of  atonement. 
The  fourth  king  fell  on  the  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet,  when  the  lights 
of  the  earthly  system  were  darkened;  the  light  that  was  in  them  being  dark- 
ness, or  so  manifested.  The  fifth  king  fell  on  the  sounding  of  the  first  and 
second  woe-trumpets,  when  the  real  character  of  repentance,  (conviction  of 
sin,)  and  the  really  legal  action  of  the  earthly  system  of  atonement,  were 
shown  by  the  sting  of  the  locusts  from  the  bottomless  pit,  and  of  the  ser- 
pent-tailed horse  of  the  Euphrates.  The  sixth  king,  described  by  the  angel 
as  still  reigning  at  that  crisis  of  the  vision,  was  apparently  the  system  or 
mystery  represented  by  the  image  of  the  beast,  upon  which  beast  the  harlot 
was  then  seated  as  a  queen.  The  seventh  king  we  suppose  to  be  the  mys- 
tery or  system  represented  as  the  beast,  to  continue  but  a  short  space  after 


438  NOTES. 

the  destruction  of  the  harlot,  and  to  go  into  perdition,  as  seen  afterwards  to 
be  the  case.  The  eighth  king,  spoken  of  as  formed  of  the  seven,  we  may 
suppose  to  be  Satan  himself,  impersonated  in  the  beast,  in  whom  all  the  pre- 
ceding delusions  are  congregated,  ("  the  father  of  lies,")  whose  perdition  or 
doom  in  the  lake  of  fire,  is  exhibited  in  the  catastrophe. 

These  definitions  are  thrown  out  by  way  of  suggestion ;  not  that  their 
adoption  is  esteemed  essential  to  the  general  construction  we  have  put  upon 
the  vision. 

c. 

THE  CHAIN  OJ^'  SATAN.— Page  320. 

The  bottomless  pit  is  the  figure  of  a  system  or  mystery  of  justification  by 
works  of  the  law,  (self-righteousness.)  Such  a  system,  having  no  real  foun« 
dation,  is  figuratively  a  pit  without  a  bottom. 

Satan  is  the  adversary  of  man's  salvation,  and  the  accusing  principle  under 
the  broken  law. 

Question.— By  what  chain  or  concatenation  of  principles  may  Satan  be 
said  to  be  confined  to  this  bottomless  pit,  or  system,  this  figurative  chain 
being  drawn  from  the  preceding  narrative? 

As  the  great  dragon,  (the  old  serpent,)  the  accuser  of  the  brethren,  and  the 
adversary  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  and  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  Satan  was  overcome  in  heaven  by  the  Uood  of  the  Lamb,  (the  atoning 
feature  of  that  divine  plan,)  and  was  finally  driven  by  the  attribute  of  divine 
sovereignty  from  heaven  to  earth ;  even  the  aid  depended  upon  by  Satan, 
derived  from  the  power  of  the  law,  being  overcome  by  the  superior  power 
of  the  vicarious  principle  spoken  of  as  the  Lamb,  the  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  lords.  Here  are  three  links  in  the  chain,  showing  that  the  serpent 
has  no  part  in  the  heavenly  councils,  and  that  from  the  exercise  of  sovereign 
grace,  his  only  remaining  field  of  action  is  in  the  earthly  system  of  preten- 
sions to  salvation  by  works. 

Satan  in  this  system  does  not  appear  openly,  or  in  his  proper  character. 
He  operates  through  a  certain  mystery  or  principle,  (the  beast,)  to  which  he 
gives  his  power  and  great  authority— his  heads  and  his  horns.  This  myste- 
rious power  is  aided  by  a  false  construction  or  mode  of  interpretation  of  the 
written  word,  by  which,  also,  it  is  enabled  to  substitute  its  own  image,  a  sys- 
tem of  propitiation  by  human  merit,  in  place  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation. 
To  this  power,  or  to  the  power  of  this  principle,  all  the  elements  of  the 
earthly  system  become  subservient,  and  so  long  as  this  continues  to  be  the 
working  of  Satan,  he  is  represented  as  ruling  over  the  earth  and  the  world 


NOTES.  439 

But  here  the  Word  of  God  (the  conqueror)  intervenes  with  the  sword  of 
his  mouth.  A  just  interpretation  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  exposes  the 
folly  of  the  earthly  pretensions  represented  by  the  kings  of  the  earth  and 
their  armies,  the  fallacy  of  the  misconstruction  represented  by  the  false  pro- 
phet, the  blasphemous  character  of  the  beast,  and  his  misuse  of  the  power 
symbolized  by  his  ten  horns.  Here,  we  may  say,  are  the  remaining  links  of 
the  chain.  The  destruction  of  the  errors  figuratively  spoken  of  as  the  beast, 
the  image,  the  false  prophet,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  indeed,  of  all  th« 
errors  previously  represented  as  overcome,  reduces  the  power  of  the  accuser 
and  adversary  to  the  single  position  of  the  bottomless  pit  system ;  manifesting 
that  the  whole  power  of  the  accuser  under  the  broken  law,  is  confined  to  the 
doctrinal  system  of  self-dependence — the  dependence  of  man  upon  his  own 
merits,  or  upon  his  own  works  of  the  law — a  dependence  without  a  founda- 
tion, and  necessarily  bringing  into  action  all  the  claims  of  the  law  upon 
those  who  pretend  to  fulfill  its  requisitions;  as  those  who  are  under  the 
law  must  be  judged  by  the  law,  and  in  that  case  must  be  exposed  to  all  the 
power  of  the  legal  adversary. 

Such,  we  think,  is  the  "  great  chain  "  by  which  Satan  may  be  said  to  be 
confined  to  the  bottomless  pit — a  chain  forged  by  the  victory  of  the  Lamb  in 
heaven,  and  by  that  of  the  Word  of  God  on  earth. 

The  Tcerj  of  the  bottomless  pit,  as  has  been  suggested,  is  susceptible  of  a 
similar  analogical  rendering.  The  opening  of  the  bottomless  pit  (system) 
was  a  development  of  its  legal  character,  with  that  of  its  chief  or  king, 
Apollyon,  another  name  for  Satan.  The  closing  of  the  pit  is  a  development 
of  the  confinement  of  the  action  of  these  legal  principles,  with  their  chief, 
to  the  position  (pit)  of  self-justification;  as  we  may  suppose  that  where 
Satan  is  confined,  his  whole  covps  of  accusing  elements  (locusts)  is  confined 
with  him ;  or  if  not  so,  without  their  leader  they  lose  their  mischievous  cha- 
racter. 

D. 

THE  SECOND  COMING.— Pagb  405. 

The  possibility  of  the  reappearance  of  Jesus  Christ  on  earth  in  a  human 
form,  is  not  a  difl5culty  in  our  mind.  Whenever  and  wherever  the  Deity 
manifests  himself,  as  before,  in  the  flesh,  there  it  may  be  said  the  Son  of  God 
is  to  be  seen.  But  the  question  is,  not  what  is  possible,  or  what  the  Almighty 
can  do,  but  what  he  has  declared  he  will  do.  In  other  words.  What  is  to  be 
understood  by  the  language  of  written  revelation  on  this  subject  ?  Is  it  to 
be  taken  to  the  lelU}\  or  is  it  to  be  apprehended  in  an  analogical  sense?    As 


440  NOTES. 

Jesus  Christ  said,  in  reference  to  some  of  his  teaching  which  was  not  to  be 
taken  in  a  literal  sense,  "  It  is  the  spirit  that  quickeneth,  (giveth  life ;)  the 
flesh  (the  carnal  sense)  profiteth  nothing;  the  words  that  I  speak  unto  you 
are  spirit  and  are  life."  (John  6  :  63.)  We  think  the  same  distinction  may  be 
applied  to  what  is  said  of  the  second  coming  of  our  Lord. 

When,  in  his  ascension,  a  cloud  literally  received  him  out  of  the  sight  of 
his  apostles,  and  it  was  said  to  them,  "  This  same  Jesus  that  was  taken  up 
from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  liJce  manner  as  je  have  seen  him  go 
into  heaven,"  it  seems  to  us  that  the  comparison  implied  in  the  words  "so" 
"  in  like  manner  as"  may  be  understood  analogically ;  the  analogical  lieaven 
being  the  revealed  word,  and  the  cloud  the  symbolical  language  in  which 
that  word  is  written. 

This  construction  is  nowise  inconsistent  with  the  opinion  (almost  univer- 
sally received  among  Christians)  that  the  moment  of  death,  in  the  ordi- 
nary sense,  is  to  every  one  equivalent  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord :  coming  as 
that  moment  does,  with  the  unexpected  suddenness  of  a  thief  in  the  night, 
and  with  the  certainty  of  travail  upon  a  woman  with  child ;  and  resulting  in 
that  transition  from  this  present  state,  in  which  we  see  darkly,  to  the  condi- 
tion in  which  we  shall  see  as  we  are  seen. 

There  are  other  passages  of  Scripture  susceptible  of  the  same  rendering ; 
as,  1  Cor.  1:7,  "  Waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord,"  should  be  rendered 
waiting  for  the  revelation  or  uwoeiling  ;  and  1  Pet.  1 :  7,  the  appearing  of 
Jesus  Christ,  should  be  the  revelation  or  unveiling  of  Jesus  Christ ;  the 
Greek  noun  in  both  these  cases  being  the  same  as  that  designating  the  title 
of  this  book.  So,  according  to  Luke  17  :  30,  the  revealing,  or  unveiling  of 
the  Son  of  Man,  is  equivalent  to  his  coming,  as  described  in  the  context ;  the 
Greek  verb  here  being  derived  from  the  same  root  as  the  noun  above.  Je- 
sus, the  Son  of  Man,  is  revealed  in  the  book  entitled,  "  The  Revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ :"  thus  John,  m  spirit,  saw  "the  day  when  the  Son  of  Man  is 
revealed :"  being,  in  spirit,  i7i  the  day  of  tJie  Lord.  The  revelation  or  unveil- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  day  of  the  Lord,  and  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  are 
thus,  we  apprehend,  equivalents.  So,  according  to  2  Thess.  2 :  3-9,  t"he  coming 
of  the  man  of  sin,  (error,)  and  his  revelation  or  imveUing,  and  Us  time,  are 
equivalents :  and  as  in  this  case  we  suppose  the  coming  to  consist  in  the 
manifestation  or  development  of  the  true  character  of  the  mystery  or  sys- 
tem of  error  referred  to,  so  we  may  presume  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
to  consist  in  the  manifestation  of  the  truth,  (God's  plan  of  salvation,)  of  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  may  be  said  to  be  the  embodiment.  Such,  we  may  aver,  is 
the  beuse  of  the  expression  in  the  Lord's  prayer,  "thy  kingdom  cotne:"  the 
allusion  is  to  the  manifestation  or  revelation  of  that  kingdom  or  sovereignty, 
and  not  to  i\i  existence. 


NOTES.  441 

There  are  certain  other  passages  evidently  not  to  be  constructed  to  the 
letter,  although  it  may  be  diflBcult  at  present  to  furnish  a  correct  analogical 
definition  of  all  their  terms.  For  example,  1  Thess.  4  :  16,  "  The  Lord 
himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
angel, and  with  the  trump  of  God."  The  sliout  apparently  corresponds  with 
the  "shoutings"  spoken  of  by  the  prophet,  (Zech.  4  :  7,)  to  which  we  have 
before  alluded.  That  the  trump  or  trumpet  of  God  is  not  the  trumpet  of  a 
man,  must  be  indisputable :  that  it  is  the  figure  of  some  extraordinary  de- 
velopment of  the  mind  of  God,  comparable  to  a  proclamation,  appears  most 
probable.  That  the  same  trump  or  trumpet  is  alluded  to,  1  Cor.  15  :  52, 
must  be  admitted.  In  both  instances,  the  sound  or  voice  of  the  last  trumpet, 
is  put  for  a  manifestation  of  truth ;  in  effect,  with  regard  to  every  human 
being,  equivalent  to  the  change  of  views  necessarily  and  immediately  suc- 
ceeding the  transition  from  this  life  to  the  next:  a  supposition  strength- 
ened by  what  we  believe  to  be  the  proper  rendering,  according  to  the  Greek, 
of  the  passage  last  alluded  to :  "  Behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery :  we  shall 
none  of  us  really /aZ^  asleep,  (referring  to  the  common  expression  for  dying,) 
hut  we  shall  all  be  changed  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye :"  the 
moment,  apparently,  when  the  spirit  quits  this  corruptible  body  to  be  united 
to  that  which  is  incorruptible. 

Corresponding  with  this  view,  the  Greek  word  commonly  rendered  reve- 
lation, is  translated  coming,  1  Cor.  1  :  7,  and  manifestation,  Rom.  8  :  19.  So, 
2  Thess.  2  :  8,  the  spirit  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and  the  brightness  of 
his  coming,  are  spoken  of  as  alike  instruments  in  destroying  the  mystery 
of  iniquity,  or  error,  referred  to  as  that  wicked,  or  that  wicked  one,  (the 
man  of  sin.)  The  spirit  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  corresponds  with  the 
sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word  of  God— the  sword  of  the  Spirit ;  the 
spirit-sense  of  the  written  word,  by  which  the  brightness  of  the  coming,  or 
manifestation  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  is  exhibited. 

The  coming  contemplated  in  these  passages,  must  be  the  same  as  that 
described,  2  Thess.  1  :  7-10,  "The  revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  from  heaven, 
with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  Gospel  of  his  Son :"  or,  according  to  the 
Greek,  with  the  angels  (messengers)  of  his  power,  in  a  flame  of  fire.  The 
fire  we  may  presume  to  be  that  of  the  written  word  of  God,  of  which  the 
flame  is  a  development  in  its  true  sense,  a  figure  equivalent  to  that  of  the 
spirit  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and  of  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Word  of  God ;  the  holy,  consecrated  messengers,  or  angels,  (prophets  and 
apostles,)  being  put  for  their  messages,  corresponding  collectively  with  the 
voice  of  the  archangel  or  chief  messenger,  or  message;  and  the  saints,  or 
19* 


442  NOTES. 

holy  ones,  in  which  the  Lord  is  glorified,  being  the  component  principles  of 
las  plan  and  work  of  salvation,  which  in  its  development  must  be,  as  indeed 
it  is,  a  subject  of  admiring  wonder  with  all  those  that  believe. 

In  accordance  with  this  construction  of  ihQ  flame  of  fire,  and  spirit  of  the 
mouth,  we  may  suppose  the  vengeance  here  alluded  to,  like  the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb,  to  be  directed  against  the  erroi'S  hostile  to  the  truths  of  divine 
revelation;  the  real  trouhlers  of  the  Thessalonian  disciple  being  these  errors 
tending  to  create  mistrust,  or  want  of  confidence  in  God's  purpose  of  salva- 
tion through  the  vicarious  work  of  Christ :  apparently  corresponding  vnth 
the  doctrines  of  certain  teachers  alluded  to,  Phil.  1 :  16.  The  voice  of  the 
archangel  is  equivalent  to  the  voice  of  Christ  himself,  as  he  is  the  prince  or 
ruler  of  angels,  and  as  the  revelation  he  makes  of  himself  and  of  his  doc- 
trines, with  spirit  sense,  is  virtually  his  voice. 

From  several  passages  in  the  writings  of  the  apostle  Paul,  it  is  apparent 
that  he  speaks  of  disciples  then  literally  living,  as  (in  an  analogical  sense) 
both  dead  in  Christ,  and  risen  and  alive  in  Christ.  The  manifestation  of  this 
mystery,  we  think,  is  contemplated  in  the  passage  we  have  noticed,  1  Thess. 
4  :  16,  17.  "The  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first.  Then  we  which  are  alive 
and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clotids,  to  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord." 

The  manifestation  is  that  of  the  position  of  believers  in  Christ  in  the  sight 
of  God.  To  be  dead  in  Christ,  is  to  be  accounted  in  him  to  have  suffered  the 
penalty  of  the  law;  so  to  be  risen  in  Christ,  is  to  be  accounted  in  him  to  be 
justified:  as  to  be  alive  in  Christ,  (the  life  hid  in  Christ,)  is  to  occupy  by 
sovereign  grace  this  position  of  justification. 

This  mystery  is  shadowed  forth  in  the  figurative  language  (clouds)  of 
divine  revelation,  and  is  manifested  in  the  right  construction  (the  purified 
air)  of  that  revelation.  Under  this  construction,  the  dead  in  Christ,  and 
the  alive,  or  justified  in  Christ,  are  manifested  to  be  ever  with  Mm,  or,  as  it  is 
expressed  in  the  same  connection,  to  be  brought  by  God  with  him,  (verse  14.) 

The  comfort  to  be  derived  from  this  mystery,  we  apprehend,  is  not  that  of 
a  literal  meeting  together  of  parties  separated  by  a  natural  death,  but  the 
assurance  that  the  parties  alluded  to  share  alike  in  the  same  process  of  justi- 
fication, and  consequent  salvation.  The  comfort  of  this  assurance,  it  is  evi- 
dent, can  not  be  enjoyed  by  those  who  have  no  hope,  (verse  13.) 

"NIGH  AT  HAND." 

Seal  not  the  sayings  of  this  book,  for  the  time  is  at  hand,"  (Gr.  is  near.) 
The  word  thus  rendered,  Rev.  1 :  3,  and  22  :  10,  like  that  rendered  quickly. 


NOTES.  443 

and  shortly,  signifies  immediate  contiguity,  as  in  Matt.,  Mark,  and  Luke, 
" MgTi,  even  at  the  doors;"  Rom.  10 :  8,  "  The  word  is  nigJi  thee,  even  in  thy 
mouth,  and  in  thy  heart." 

The  necessity  oi  sealing  o,  prophecy  or  prediction  concerning  future  things, 
is  apparent,  as  the  unsealing  of  them  might  defeat  their  purpose :  for  the 
same  reason,  the  unsealing,  or  not  sealing  of  a  prophecy,  or  mystery,  must 
indicate  the  immediate  presence  of  the  thing  or  things  alluded  to,  the  ono 
being  to  the  other  as  the  fulfillment  is  to  the  prediction. 

N.  B.  There  seems  to  be  a  marked  reserve  in  the  language  of  the  sacred 
volume  as  to  any  particulars  of  the  nature  of  the  future  existence  of  those 
who  are  saved :  the  mode  or  way  of  that  salvation  only  is  revealed. 

B. 

THE  APOCALYPTIC  TERM  HEA  VEN,  AS  A  FIGURE.— Page  342. 

Theeb  are  three  modes,  it  may  be  said,  in  which  the  divine  purpose  of 
salvation  by  grace,  is  communicated  to  us. 

First,  The  typical  institutions,  histories,  and  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Second,  The  work  of  Jesus  Christ  while  on  earth,  together  with  his 
teachings,  and  those  of  his  apostles.  Third,  The  unveiling,  or  revelation, 
vouchsafed  to  John  in  vision. 

Each  of  these,  or  the  whole  body  of  revelation,  is  sometimes,  as  we  appre- 
hend, figuratively  termed  in  the  Scriptures,  Jieamn.  The  second  of  these  is 
the  most  important,  as  the  relation  of  facts  furnishing  the  key  to  all  that 
Moses  and  the  prophets  have  recorded,  as  well  as  to  all  that  the  apostles  have 
written ;  but  the  last  is  that  which  develops  most  fully  the  distinguishing 
characteristics  of  God's  plan  of  salvation  as  an  act  of  sovereign  grace. 

The  declaration  of  Jesus  to  Nathaniel,  "  From  tJiis  time,  ye  shall  see  hea- 
ven open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  vpon  (that  is, 
concerning)  the  Son  of  man,"  inclines  us  to  consider  the  Old  Testament  reve- 
lation the  heaven  there  referred  to.  The  meaning  of  that  testament  was 
not  then  understood.  Heaven  had  been  shut ;  hnifrom  tTiat  (imeit  began  to 
be  opened.  The  true  Israelite  knew  from  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment that  Messiah  was  to  come;  but  who  that  Messiah  really  was,  and  what 
was  to  be  the  purpose  of  his  coming,  he  did  not  understand.  The  work  and 
teachings  of  Jesus  Christ,  from  the  commencement  of  his  ministry,  opened 
this  mystery,  as  he  himself  opened  the  Scriptures  to  the  minds  of  the  two 
disciples  on  their  way  to  Emmaus. 

This  opening,  however,  is  gradual,  corresponding  with  the  steps  of  the 


444  NOTES. 

ladder  seen  by  the  patriarch  in  vision ;  the  angels  ascending  and  descending, 
being  in  both  cases  a  figurative  expression  for  the  development  made  by 
prophets  and  apostles  in  relation  to  or  concerning  the  Son  of  Man.  As  the 
New  Jerusalem  was  seen  descending  from  God  out  of  heaven,  so  the  divine 
plan  of  redemption  is  developed  from  the  heaven  of  written  revelation. 

We  take  the  scriptural  terms  Tieaven  and  lieavens  to  be  nearly  synonymous : 
if  not  precisely  so,  the  difference  must  be  in  the  different  revelations  above 
alluded  to,  or  something  of  that  character. 

Corresponding  with  these  views,  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven  "  must  be  that 
exhibition  of  divine  sovereignty  of  which  the  sacred  Scriptures  afford  an 
exposition :  as  the  kingdom  of  God  must  be  that  state  of  things  in  which  he 
rules  as  a  sovereign,  the  commg  of  this  kingdom  being  the  revelation  or  man- 
ifestation of  it,  not  a  change  in  the  nature  of  the  thing  itself. 


THE  DWELLERS  UPON  THE  EARTH,  AND  THE  NATIONS  OR 
GENTILES.— Page  178. 

The  difference  between  the  figurative  terms  of  the  iTien,  or  dwellers  upon 
or  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  and  the  nations  or  Gentiles,  with  their  symbolic 
cognates,  (Rev.  11 :  9, 10,)  has  been  so  often  noticed,  that  it  seems  necessary, 
by  way  of  justifying  the  distinction,  to  bring  forward  the  manner  in  which 
the  figures  are  severally  used.  As  in  the  passage  just  cited,  "the  dwellers 
upon  the  earth  "  are  represented  as  rejoicing  over  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
witnesses,"  while  "  they  of  the  people,  tribes,  tongues,  and  nations,"  seem  to 
have  a  respectful  regard  for  the  bodies,  not  suffering  them  to  be  removed. 
The  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  on  the  contrary,  would  have  been  glad  to  have 
had  them  out  of  the  way,  body  as  well  as  spirit,  for  they  had  been  tortured 
by  their  prophesying,  as  the  nun  of  the  earth  had  been  tortured  by  the  locust- 
scorpions,  and  Euphratean  horsemen. 

These  men,  or  dwellers  upon  the  earth,  are  those  to  be  tried  in  the  hour  of 
trial  coming  upon  all  the  world.  (Rev.  3  :  10.)  They  are  those  upon  whom 
the  blood  of  the  souls  under  the  altar  was  to  be  avenged.  (Rev.  6  :  10.) 
They  are  those  represented  in  the  panic-scene  as  fleeing  from  the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb,  (Rev.  6  :  15,  16,)  and  as  such,  they  must  be  also  the  kindreds  or 
tribes  of  the  eart\  wailing  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  (Rev.  1  :  7.)  They 
are  those  upon  whom  the  three  woes  are  pronounced.  (Rev.  8  :  13.)  They 
are  those  to  whom  the  coming  down  of  Satan  amongst  them  is  declared  to 
\iQ^xooe.    (Rev.  12:12.)    They  are  those  whose  names  are  not  written  in 


NOTES.  445 

the  book  of  life ;  who  worship  the  beast,  (Rev.  13  :  8 ;)  who  are  deceived  by 
the  false  prophet,  and  are  influenced  by  him  to  make  an  image  of  the  beast. 
(Rev.  13  :  13,  14.)  They  are  those,  too,  who  were  made  drunk  by  the  wine 
of  the  harlot,  and  who  wondered  after  the  beast  that  carried  her.  They 
(these  men)  are  those  of  whom  seven  thousand  (names)  were  slain  in  the 
great  earthquake,  (Rev.  11  :  13 ;)  and  they  are  those  upon  whom  the  great 
hail  fell  out  of  heaven,  and  who  blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague  of 
the  hail,  (Rev.  16  :  21.)  They  are  not  mentioned  after  the  fall  of  Babylon, 
except  as  forming  part  of  her  articles  of  traffic,  (the  bodies  and  souls  of  men. 
Rev.  18  :  13,)  and  as  constituting  the  forces  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  slain 
by  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word  of  God.  (Rev.  19  :  18-21.)  The 
144,000  sealed  ones  were  redeemed  from  the  earth,  but  they  are  not  said  to 
be  dwellers  upon  the  earth.  (Rev.  14  :  3.)  The  earth  was  no  lome  for  them; 
as  a  system  of  salvation  by  works  affiDrds  no  place  for  the  elements  of  the 
divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace. 

The  other  class  we  comprehend  under  the  term  Gentiles,  because  their 
several  symbolic  appellations  of  peoples,  tongues,  tribes,  and  kindred,  are 
all  comprehended  in  the  idea  of  nations,  and  because  the  Greek  term  rendered 
nations,  in  the  passages  in  contemplation,  is  the  same  as  that  elsewhere  trans- 
lated GentiUs,  as  Rev.  11  :  2.  The  term  Gentiles  is,  indeed,  but  a  Latinism 
of  the  term  nations  ;  but  we  prefer  it  as  directing  our  attention  to  the  difier- 
ence  between  those  truly  circumcised  and  those  who  are  not,  in  the  mystic 
sense  of  the  term,  (Phil.  3:3;)  the  uncircumcised  being  those  resting  upon 
the  letter  or  carnal  construction  of  the  written  word.  Principles  of  this 
character  are  the  symbolical  Gentiles  of  the  Apocalypse. 

These  Gentiles,  then,  are  those  over  whom  the  conqueror  is  to  rule  with 
despotic  sway.  (Rev.  2  :  26 ;  12  :  5;  19  :  15.)  The  elements  of  the  earthly 
platform  are  represented  as  destroyed ;  but  those  of  the  Gentile  class,  not- 
withstanding their  anger  or  rage,  (Rev.  11 :  17,)  are  to  be  overcome,  and 
made  subordinate  to  the  new  state  of  things.  They  are  those  principles  out 
of  which  the  four  attributes  of  sovereignty,  and  the  twenty-four  elements  of 
divine  revelation,  are  redeemed.  (Rev.  5  :  8,  9.)  They  are  those  (rf  whom  a 
great  multitude  stood  before  the  Lamb  in  white  robes.  (Rev.  7:9.)  They 
are  those  to  whom  the  outer  court  of  the  temple  was  given  for  a  season. 
(Rev.  11  :  2.)  Although  for  a  season  under  the  power  of  the  beast,  (Rev. 
13  :  7,)  as  even  the  saints  were  overcome  by  the  same  power,  it  is  said  of 
them  by  those  who  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  that  they  (these 
nations)  shall  come  and  worship  before  the  Lord.  (Rev.  15  :  4.)  Their 
cities  (systems  of  doctrine)  fell  when  the  great  cify  Babylon  was  divided 
into  three  part.g,  (Rev.  IG  :  19,)  as  they  were  under  her  dominion  when 


446  NOTES. 

she  was  in  her  glory.  (Rev.  17  :  15.)  They  were  deceived  by  her  sorceries 
as  they  drank  her  wine,  (Rev.  14:8;  18 :  3,)  but  still,  though  smitten,  they 
were  to  be  ruled,  not  slain,  by  the  sceptre  or  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty. 
That  they  might  be  deceived  no  more,  (the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  having 
been  all  destroyed,)  Satan  was  cast  bound  into  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  though 
afterwards  some  of  them  (G-og  and  Magog)  were  deluded  into  the  service  of 
the  adversary,  certain  of  them,  Gentiles  of  the  new  earth,  are  made  to  walk 
in  the  light  of  the  holy  city,  and  to  bring  the  tribute  of  their  glory  and  honor 
into  it.  Even  the  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life  are  to  be  for  their  healing,  while 
in  the  description  of  this  neio  state  of  things,  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth  are 
not  mentioned  at  all. 

Both  classes  are  to  undergo  the  trial  to  come  on  all  the  world ;  although, 
apparently,  that  trial  is  especially  to  try  "  the  dwellers  upon  the  earth," 
(Rev.  3  :  10;)  but  concerning  the  Gentile  class  particularly,  the  apostle  was 
to  prophesy  from  the  little  book,  (Rev.  10 :  11,)  while  in  this  particular,  the 
(koellera  v.pon  the  earth  are  not  noticed. 

Taking  these  particulars  into  view,  the  comparison  leads  us  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  phrase,  "the  dwellers  upon  the  earth,"  or  "inhabiters  of  the 
earth,"  (fig.  men^  is  symbolical  of  self-righteous  and  self-justifying  (self- 
dependent)  principles  of  doctrine  of  an  unconvertible  nature — principles 
which  must  not  only  be  overcome  in  the  great  trial,  as  it  is  termed,  but 
which  are  also  wholly  incompatible  with  the  new  order  of  things  peculiar  to 
the  economy  of  grace.  They  are  consequently  such  as  are  excluded  from 
the  holy  city.  Those  of  the  Gentile  class,  on  the  other  hand,  (peoples,  na- 
tions, kindreds,  and  tongues,)  are  elements  of  doctrine  drawn  indeed  from 
the  letter  or  carnal  sense  of  the  written  word,  but  susceptible  of  being  made, 
under  a  new  view  of  things,  subservient  to  the  manifestation  of  the  truth, 
corrected  (smitten)  by  an  exhibition  of  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty, 
and  cu7'ed  by  a  just  exhibition  of  the  plan  of  salvation  by  grace,  (the  tree 
of  life.) 

G. 

TREE  OF  LIFE,  "RIGHT  TO."— Page  372. 

The  tree  of  life  being  a  figure  of  the  divine  ^oill  or  word,  fulfilled  by  Christ 
in  his  offering  of  himself  upon  the  cross,  or  tree,  the  right  or  power  over 
(upon,  that  is,  concerning)  this  tree  must  depend  upon  the  correspondence 
with  that  ^Dill  or  icord  of  the  elements  or  principles  of  doctrine  figuratively 
spoken  of  as  doing  the  commandments  of  God. 

As  the  gates  of  the  city  arc  in  the  custody  of  the  twelve  angels,  (apostles, 


NOTES.  447 

put  for  N.  T.  revelation,)  and  are  all  of  one  and  the  same  pearl,  (Christ,)  those 
that  are  said  to  do  the  commandments  of  God,  must  bo  such  principles  of 
doctrine  or  of  faith  as  correspond  with  the  criteria  of  judgment  represented 
by  the  angels,  and  with  the  only  way  (gate)  of  salvation,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ. 

H. 

EARTHQUAKES  OR  SHAKINGS.— Page  186. 

Mention  is  made  in  the  Apocalypse  of  five  earthquakes,  or,  as  the  Greek 
term  should  be  rendered,  sTiahingSy  corresponding  with  the  allusion  of  the 
apostle  Paul,  Heb.  12  :  26,  27,  to  the  prophecy  of  Haggai,  2  :  6. 

The  first,  at  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  occasioning  the  panic  amongst 
the  dwellei's  xipon  tlie  earth,  from  the  king  to  the  slave,  (Rev.  6  :  12-16,)  signs 
in  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  distress  of  nations  with  perplexity,  merCs  hearts 
faiHng  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  things  on  the  eartli.  (Lxike 
21  :  25,  26.) 

The  second  was  produced  by  the  fire  from  the  altar,  thrown  upon  the 
earth,  accompanied  with  indications  of  the  law,  (Rev.  8  :  5-12,)  the  sea  and 
the  waves  roaring.     (Luke  21 :  25.    See  also  Joel  2 :  30,  31.) 

The  third  was  at  the  close  of  the  second  woe,  when  the  tillie  of  the  great 
city  fell,  (Rev.  11  :  19,)  showing,  apparently,  the  fallacy  of  the  harlot  system 
in  relation  to  the  worship  of  God,  and  preparatory  to  the  manifestation  of 
the  glory  of  the  latter  7iO?/5(?,  (alluded  to  in  the  prophecy  by  Haggai,)  super- 
seding the  vain  glory  symbolized  by  the  seven  thousand  names  of  men. 

The  fourth  was  at  the  commencement  of  the  third  woe,  when  the  ark  of 
God's  testament  (the  new  covenant)  was  seen  in  the  temple  in  heaven  de- 
veloping the  particulars  of  the  war  in  heaven,  the  mystery  of  the  beast,  the 
position  of  the  Lamb  on  the  Mount  Sion,  the  denunciations  and  tests  to 
which  the  earthly  system  and  its  satellites  were  subjected.  Of  these  deve- 
lopments the  earthquake  and  the  rending  of  the  veil  of  the  temple  on  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ,  may  be  considered  typical  forerunners. 

The  fifth  and  greatest  sluikin^j  immediately  preceded  the  division  of  the 
great  cltnj  into  three  parts— the  fall  of  the  cities  of  the  nations,  the  coming  of 
Babylon  into  remembrance  before  God,  the  mystery  and  destruction  of  the 
harlot  an  dharlot-city,  with  all  the  particulars  of  the  catastrophe  to  the  com- 
ing in  of  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth,  and  the  descent  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem, corresponding  with  the  declaration  of  the  Almighty  before  adverted 
to,  "Yet  once  more  I  shake  not  the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven:"  signify- 
ing "  the  removing  of  those  things  that  a-re  shaken,  as  of  things  that  are 


448  NOTES. 

made,  that  those  things  which  can  not  be  shaken  may  remain ;"  which  leads 
us  to  the  conclusion  that  the  coming  of  iJie  desire  of  all  nations,  spoken  of  by 
the  prophet,  and  the  commg  or  unveiling  of  Jesus  in  the  vision  of  the  apos- 
tle, correspond  in  purport. 

So  the  shaking  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  in  the  prophecy,  corresponds 
with  the  fleeing  away  of  the  old  earth  and  of  the  old  heaven  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse. The  shaking  of  the  sea  develops  the  mystery  of  the  ten-horned 
beast  from  the  sea,  and  the  shaking  of  the  dry  land  (Hag.  2  :  6)  develops  the 
mystery  of  the  two-horned  beast  from  the  land,  or  false  prophet. 

We  do  not  contemplate  these  earthquakes  as  matters  taking  place  success- 
ively, but  rather  as  symbolical  of  different  features  or  degrees  in  the  unfold- 
ing of  the  mystery  of  Christ — the  great  day  of  the  Lord. 

I. 

THE  APPELLATION  SELF,  AS  APPLIED  TO  THE  ADVERSARY 

OF  THE  CROSS  OF  CHRIST.— Page  215. 

In  th«  commentary  of  which  the  foregoing  is  a  summary,  before  having 
defined  the  appellation  of  the  ten-horned  beast  from  the  number  of  his  name, 
we  distinguished  him  by  the  term  self,  being  persuaded  that  he  represents 
that  spirit  of  selfishness  which,  as  it  reigns  in  the  heart  of  man,  leads  him 
to  contemplate  himself  as  his  own  saviour,  thus  putting  his  own  self  in 
the  place  of  God.  The  title,  afterwards  ascertained  from  the  number  666, 
^iccords,  in  effect,  with  this  appellation ;  but  on  a  further  comparison  of  the 
description  given  of  the  beast  and  his  kingdom  with  Paul's  account  of  "the 
man  of  sin  "  and  "  the  mystery  of  iniquity,"  apparently  considered  by  him  as 
equivalents,  we  are  inclined  to  contemplate  the  ten-horned  beast  (the  ad- 
versary  of  the  cross  of  Christ)  not  merely  as  a  principle,  but  rather  as  a  mys- 
tery or  system  of  principles  of  which  the  seven  heads  represent  so  many 
leading  features ;  in  all  of  these,  however,  self,  or  selfishness,  may  be  the 
ruling  spirit. 

As  it  was  said  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  (Luke  17  :  21,)  that  it  is  not  an  ex- 
ternal object  of  contemplation,  but  something  in  the  heart  or  mind  of  man, 
"  Behold  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you  ;"  so,  as  an  opposite  to  this,  we 
consider  the  kingdom  of  the  beast,  and  of  consequence  the  reign  of  the  man 
of  sin,  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  as  something  in  the  mind  of  man. 

As  the  kingdom  of  God  can  be  in  the  mind  only  of  those  who  recognize  the 
attribute  of  divine  sovereignty,  and  as  this  attribute  can  not  be  recognized 
without  contemplating  the  way  of  salvation  as  a  plan  of  sovereign  grace,  so 


NOTES.  449 

with  him  who  contemplates  that  salvation  as  a  result  of  his  own  works  or 
merits,  the  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty  must  be  lost  sight  of.  He  regards 
himself  as  the  author  of  his  own  eternal  happiness ;  and  his  own  highly- 
esteemed  self,  is  thus  in  effect  the  god  of  his  idolatry.  His  object  in  %covh- 
ing  is  not  to  glorify  God,  but  to  glorify  himself:  whether  his  efforts  be 
directed  to  save  himself  or  to  save  others,  his  purpose  is  not  that  God  may 
be  glorified  in  his  salvation,  or  in  theirs,  but  that  he  himself  may  obtain  the 
glory  of  this  result. 

We  despise  self-seeking  in  our  ordinary  intercourse  with  men,  wherever  it 
is  detected ;  but  here  is  self-seeking  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  this  under  the 
pretense  of  serving  Mm,  the  searcher  and  trier  of  the  thoughts  and  motives 
of  the  heart. 

Such,  we  think,  is  the  mystery  of  the  beast  and  of  the  woman  sustained  by 
him.  It  is  easy  to  perceive  that  the  ruling  principle  or  spirit  alluded  to, 
involves  those  we  have  supposed  to  be  symbolized  by  the  heads  of  the  beast, 
as  well  as  the  mixed  and  mercenary  views  indicated  in  the  cup  of  the  harlot, 
and  the  trading  character  of  the  harlot-city;  as  it  is  also  evident  that  the 
spirit,  principle,  or  mystery  here  set  forth  must  be  adverse  to  the  divine  plan 
of  salvation  by  sovereign  grace,  (the  cross  of  Christ.) 

That  such  a  system,  or  such  principles  of  action,  should  find  a  place  in  the 
minds  of  Christian  disciples,  and  be  sustained  by  them  on  the  ground  of 
scriptural  authority,  can  be  accounted  for  only  in  the  way  symbolically  set 
forth  in  the  vision  of  the  apostle  as  the  false  prophet,  and  alluded  to  by  Paul, 
as  that  which  lets  or  hinders  the  revelation  of  the  man  of  sin,  namely,  a  false 
rule  of  construction  or  interpretation  applied  to  the  language  o<^  the  sacred 
writings — an  evil  to  be  remedied  only  by  such  an  unveiling  or  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ  as  will  prove  to  be,  like  the  sword  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Word 
of  God,  the  conqueror  of  the  beast  and  his  auxiliaries,  and  like  the  spirit  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  the  consumer  of  the  mystery  of  iniquity. 

J. 

MIXED  VIEWS.— Page  259. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  mixed  views  common  amongst  laymen  as  well  as 
ecclesiastics,  we  cite  the  following  lines  of  a  much-lauded  Italian  poet,  with 
the  French  translation : 

Speme,  dess'  io,  e  uno  attender  certo, 
Delia  gloria  futura,  che  produce 
Graziil  divina  e  precedente  merto. 

Jl  ParitiliSif,  caulo  xxy. 


450  NOTES. 

L'esperance  est  une  attente  certaine  de  la  gloire  future,  prorenant  de  la 
grace  de  Dieu  et  des  m6rites  precedents. 

"  Hope  is  a  certain  expectation  of  future  glory  which  divine  grace  and  pre- 
merit  produce." 


Or,  according  to  the  French, 

**  Hope  is  a  certain  expectation  of  future  glory,  proceeding  from  the  grace 
of  Grod  and  jfrom  preceding  merits." 


GLOSSAEY 

OP 

^NA-LodlC^L    TERMS, 

AS  EMPLOYED  IN  THE  POEEGOING  WORK. 


Rev.  16  :  17.    Air,  (medium  of  sight.)    Eule  of  interpretation,  (exegesis.) 
19  :  8.    Akeay  (covering)  of  the  Bride.    Divine  righteousness. 

"  "  of  the  harlot.    Pretensions  to  righteousness. 

11:19.    Ark,  (means  of.safety.)    Ark  of  the  testament;   divine  plan  of  salva- 
tion.   0pp.  of  human  inventions.    (See  Ships.) 
19  :  14.    Abmies  of  heaven.    Principles  of  divine  government,  comprehended  io 

the  Word  or  purpose  of  God. 
19:19.        "       of  the  kings  of  the  earth.    Principles  of  the  earthly  system  of 

works. 
16 :  14.    Aemageddon,  (Mount  of  the  Gospel.)    Field,  or  platform,  upon  which 
the  triumph  of  Gospel  principles  over  those  of  self-justification,  is 
obtained. 
2  :  22.    Adttltery.    Mixture  of  true  and  false  principles  of  doctrine ;   Gospel 

views  adulterated  with  those  of  the  law.    (See  Fornication.) 
2  :  18.    Antipas,  (for  all.)    The  vicarious  attribute  of  Christ. 
8  :  2.    Angbls,  (messengers.)    Put  for  their  messages.    Elements  of  revela- 
tion. 
1 :  20.    Angels  of  churches.    Exponents  of  doctrinal  systems. 
9  :  11.    Apollton,  (Abaddon.)    The  destroyer.    (See  Satan.) 
6:9.    Altae.    The  divine  wiW  or  purpose  of  salvation.    (See  Cross.) 
8:3.        "  (golden.)    Same,  as  a  precious  truth. 

2  :  2.    Apostles,  (sent.)    Elements  of  Gospel  revelation.        )  Teachers     put 
"  "  (false.)    Teachers  of  the  law,  professing  to  >•    for  their  doc- 

be  teachers  of  the  Gospel.  (See  Synagogue.)  )     trines. 

18  :  20.    Apostles,  (holy.)    Elements  of  divine  revelation ;  true  exponents  of 

God's  plan  of  salvation. 
19 : 1-6.    Alleluia,  (praise  Jehovah.)     Indication  of  the  end,  when  God  is 
manifested  to  be  "  all  in  all."    (1  Cor.  15  :  28.) 
Acousep.  of  the  brethren.    The  enemy  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  repre- 
senting the  principles  of  that  plan  as  tending  to  licentiousness. 
18  :  12-14.    Articles  of  commerce  of  Babylon.    These  may  represent  principles 
ofioorks,  good  in  themselves,  but  worthless  in  connection  with  a 
doctrinal  systeift  of  traffic,  with  Ilim  whose  gifts  are  all  of  grace,  as 
'n  making  the  service  or  worship  of  God  a  matter  of  merchandise. 


452  GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL   TERMS. 

Rev.    4  :  6.    Beasts,  (four.)    Living  creatures ;  attributes  of  divine  sovereignty. 

13  :  1.    Beast,  (tou-horncd.)    Tlie  adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  (See  Cross 
of  Christ.) 
13  :  11.    Beast,  (two-horned.)    False  prophet :  put  for  false  interpretation.  (See 
Prophet.) 
11:7.    Beast,  (from  bottomless  pit.)    See  Apollyon. 
6  :  10.    Blood,  (life.)    Spirit-sense  of  revelation.    0pp.  of  the  letter. 

12  :  11.     Blood  of  the  Lamb.    Atonement  of  Christ. 

16  :  3.    Blood  of  a  carcase.    Evidence  of  want  of  any  element  of  life. 
2:22.    Bed,  (bier.)    Receptacle  of  a  dead  body;  evidence  of  absence  of  spirit. 

6:2.    Bow,  (without  arrows.)    Token  of  covenant  of  grace.  (See  Rainbow.) 
22:9.    Bride  of  the  Lamb.    New  covenant  or  testament;  God's  plan  of  sal- 
vation, 

17  :  5.    Babylon,  (the  harlot.)    0pp.  of  the  Bride.    Confused,  mixed  plan  of 

salvation ;  the  woman  and  image  of  the  beast. 
17  :  18.    Babylon,  (the  city.)    Mixed  plan,  as  above.     0pp.  of  the  Jerusalem 

from  above. 
20  :  12.    Book  of  life.    Lamb's  book,  or  book  of  the  life  of  the  Lamb;  divine 
plan  of  salvation.     (See  Tree  of  life,  Cross  of  Christ.  Word  of  God, 
and  the  Bride.) 
5:1.    Book,  sealed.    Divine  purpose  or  mystery  of  salvation. 
20:12.    Books.    Doctrinal  systems  of  man.    0pp.  of  book  of  life. 
21 :  8.  j- Brimstone,  (sulphur.)    Symbol  of  perpetuity.  »(See  Lake.) 

8  :  8.    Burning.    Trial  or  test  by  the  application  of  the  spirit-sense  of  the 

written  word. 
19 :  17.    Birds  of  prey,  (fowls  of  mid-heaven.)    Principles  of  law,  acting  on 
pretensions  to  merit. 

18  :  2.    BiEDS,  unclean.    Mixed  principles  of  doctrine. 

6  :  6.    Baeley,  (material  of  bread.)    Figure  of  means  of  eternal  life.  (See 

Wheat.) 
10:9.    Belly.    Natural  or  carnal  sense  of  written  revelation. 
11  :  9.    Body,  (dead  bodies.)    Letter  of  revelation  deprived  of  the  spirit-sense. 

9  : 1.    Bottomless  pit.    System  of  salvation  (by  works)   without  a  founda- 

tion. 
13  : 1.    Blasphemy,    Pretensions  to  equiility  with  God. 
2:9.    Blasphemy  of  pretended  Jews.    Self-righteous  principles. 
9:17.    Breastplates.    Exhibitions  of  divine  justice  or  righteousness.   (Seo 

Fire,  Brimstone,  and  Smoke. 
1 :  15.    Brass,  fine.    In  appearance  burning,  but  not  consumed ;  divine  truth 

withstanding  every  test. 
10  :  9.    Bitter.    Bitterness ;  conviction  of  sin. 
12  :  10.    Brethren,  the.    Principles  of  the  divine  plan  of  salvation  by  grace. 

1 :  7.    Clouds  of  heaven.    Symbolic  representations  of  written  revelation, 
1 :  13.    Candlesticks.    Doctrinal  systems  of  faith.   (See  Churches.) 
1 :  20.    CnuHOHEs,  (seven,  of  Asia.)   Doctrinal  systems,  of  which  tho  angels  or 
stars  may  be  the  light  or  spirit. 
1 :  7.    Coming  in  clouds.    Symbolic  unveiling. 
16  :  15.    Come,  coming.    Revealing  or  unveiling. 
5 :  13.    Ckeatures  in  heaven.    Elements  of  the  heavenly  system,  revealed  as 

in  the  Scriptures.   (See  Heaven.) 
5  :  13.    Crkatpees  upon  the  sea.    Elements  of  judicial  vengeance. 

5  :  9.     (Jreatures  m  the  sea.    Elements  exposed  to  the  action  of  tho  sea. 

6  :  2.    Crown,  (Stephanos.)    Token  of  success  or  triumph,  as  in  a  race. 
12 : 3  )  \     r  /  1   , 

13  •  l"  (.^•'''^'^^1  (diadema.)    Symbol  of  sovereignty,  or  of  pretensions  to  sove- 
19''l2  ("        reignty.     (See  Diadem.) 

21 :  2.    City,  (holy,  beloved.)    Divine  plan  of  redemption,  or  new  covenant  v\ 

testament.    (See  Jerusalem,  New.) 
20  :  9.    Camp  of  saints  or  of  holy  ones.    Same  as  above,    (See  Saints.) 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL   TEEMS.  453 

Rev.  16  :  19.    Cities  of  the  nations.    Plans  of  salvation  resting  upon  the  letter  of  re- 
velation.   (See  Gentiles.) 
16  :  19.    City,  (great,  Rev.  11  :  8.)    False  plan  of  salvation,  composed  of  impure, 

servile  and  self-righteous  principles.     (See  Babylon.) 
12  :  5.     Child,  (man-child.)  "Divine  element  of  propitiation.    (See  Lamb.) 
2  :  23.    Children  of  Jezebel,  (otfspring.)    Principles  resulting  from  false  inter- 
pretation. 

13  :  19.    Captivity.    Bondage  under  the  law,  resulting  from  a  perverted  view 

of  divine  revelation. 
21^  11   t  Ceystal.    Emblem  of  perfect  purity  and  justice.    (See  Sea  of  glass.) 

Cut.    Symbol  of  propitiation,  true  or  false.    (See  1  Cor.  10  :  21.) 
17  :  4.    Cup,  (harlot's.)    Mixed  principles  of  propitiation,  as  partly  of  human 
merit  and  partly  of  divine. 

14  :  10.    Cup  of  indignation.    Legal  principles  of  harlot's  cup,  reacting  upon  that 

false  system. 
1:4.    Church,  (ecclesia.)    Christian  system  of  doctrine.    (Opposite  of  Syna- 
gogue. !    Select.    Opp.  of  a  promiscuous  assembly. 
2  :  7.    Cross  of  Christ.    Divine  will  ox  jyurjjose  of  salvation  through  the  vi- 
carious sacrifice  of  Christ.     (See  tree  of  life.)* 
4 :  7.    Calf,  (propitiatory.)    Symbol  of  the  divine  attribute  of  mercy. 
19  :  2.    Cage  of  unclean  birds.  "  Position  or  system  to  which  certain  impure 

doctrines  or  principles  are  confined. 
11 :  2.    City,  holy,  trodden  under  foot  by  the  Gentiles.    Divine  plan  of  re- 
demption seen  only  in  a  literal  or  carnal  sense ;    Jerusalem  in 
bondage. 
3 :  21.  )  CoNQUEuoR,  (the  conquering.)    He  that  overcomes,  or  the  overcoming-, 
6  :  2.  f        the  Word  of  God. 

12  :  2.  Court  of  the  temple.  Letter  of  revelation  in  reference  to  the  worship 
of  God. 

2  :  24.  Depths  of  Satan.  Delusive  tendency  of  the  spirit  of  accusation,  con- 
cealed beneath  the  pretension  of  zeal  for  the  law.    (Isa.  8  :  5,  44.) 

2  :  14.  Doctrine  of  Balaam.  Misinterpretation  of  Scripture,  leading  to  mixed 
views  and  self-glorification. 

2:15.    Doctrine  of  Nicolaitanes.    System  of  self-dependence.    (Rev.  3  :  17.) 

IS  '2  \  ^'^^'^^^1  (^^'  <iaimon.)    Delusive  principles,  leading  astray ;  demons. 
12  :  9.    Devil,  (diabolos.)    Principle  of  legal  accusation,  urging  the  claims  of 
the  broken  law. 
6  •  8  f  ^^^I'H  ^'^'^  HELL.    Mystery  or  system  of  legal  condemnation. 
11 :  4.    Death.    Position  under  the  broken  law  obnoxious  to  condemnation. 
20  :  12.    Dead,  (the  dead.)    Doctrinal  principles  not  having  the  spirit-sense. 
11 :  9.    Dead,  (bodies.)    Elements  of  revelation  deprived  of  their  spirit-sense. 
2:6.    Deeds.    Tendency  of  principles.     (Bee  Works.) 
9  :  6.    Desire  to  die.    Figure  drawn  from  the  action  of  torture. 
12  •  ^  j- Diadem.    Symbol  of  sovereign  power,  real  or  assumed.  (See  Crowns.) 
22  :  15.    Dogs.    Impure,  self-righteous  principles.     (See  Phil.  3  :  2.) 
12  :  .3-9.    Dp.agon,  (great  serpent. )    Legal  accuser.    (See  Satan.) 
12  :  4.    Dragon's  tail.    False  construction  of  the  written  word. 

12  ;  6.    Days.    Figurative  terms  of  equation,  or  coexistence.    (See  Months.) 

13  :  8.    DwELLEKs'upon  the  earth.    Principles  of  the  earthly  system  of  justifi- 

cation by  works.    (See  Inhabiters,  Men,  etc.) 
12  :  12.    Dwellers  in  heaven.    Principles  of  the  heavenly  system  of  salvation 
by  grace. 

*  The  term  cross  is  not  met  with  in  the  Apocalypse,  (c.  v.,)  but  the  Greek  word  for 
tree,  (of  life,)  wood,  (precious,)  is  the  same  as  that  rendered  tree  in  other  parts,  where 
it  is  evident,  the  term  applies  to  the  cross  of  Christ.  (See  Acts  5 :  30 ;  10 :  39 ;  13  :  29 ; 
Gal.  3  :  13 ;  1  Pet.  2  :  2  i.) 


454  GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TEEMS. 

Eev.  20  :  3.  Deceived  by  Satan.    Perverted  ft-om  just  views  of  revelation. 

17  :  16.  Desolate,  (as  a  widow,  and  childless.)   Without  a  redeemer  and  witb 
out  merits  or  righteousness. 

17  :  3.  Desolate,  (as  a  wilderness.)    Not  affording  the  means  of  life  eternal. 

16:10.  Dabkness.    Absence  of  righteousness.     (See  Light.) 

3  :  8.  DooE,  (open.)    Way  of  understanding;  a  mystery  unlocked. 
6:1.  Door,  (opened  in  heaven.)    Development  of  the  plan  of  salvation. 

18 :  9.    Delicacies,  (of  Babylon.)    Luxuries ;   substitutions  for  tho  bread  of 

life;  delusive  views  of  the  way  of  salvation. 
20  :  14.    Death,  (second.)    Final  condemnation  to  tho  eternal  test  of  the  re- 
vealed word,  of  all  systems  and  principles  not  corresponding  with 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  or  divine  plan  of  salvation.* 

11 :  8.    Egypt.    Position  of  bondage  under  the  law,  or  of  dependence  on  hu- 
man merit 

8  :  13.    Eaeth,  ^land.)    Ground  of  pretensions  to  merit  by  works. 

6 :  12, 13.    Eaetu,  (earthly  system.)    Earthly  views  of  heavenly  objects,  compre- 
hending sun,  moon,  stars,  etc. 

4  :  4.    Eldees,  (twenty-four.)    Elements  of  divine  revelation  redeemed  from 

false  views,  or  earthly  systems. 

9  :  14.  )  Etjpheates,  (the  great  river.)    Means  of  atonement  of  the  earthly  or 
16  :  12.  )        Babylonish  system.    Opp.  of  the  river  of  water  of  life. 

1 :  14.    Eyes,  as  of  fire.    Divine  test  of  principles,  as  by  trial  of  fire.    (See 

fire.) 
4 :  8.    Eyes  within  and  without    The  attribute  of  omniscience. 
4  :  7.    Eagle,  (flying.)    Symbol  of  the  Comforter ;  the  Holy  Spirit 
6  :  12.    Eaetuquake,  (shaking.)    Trial  of  a  system  or  systems  of  doctrine  by 
a  development  of  truth. 

7  :  2.    East,  (the  risings  of  the  sun.)    Source  of  the  Sun  of  Eighteousness. 
7 :  2.    East,  (angel  from.)    A  development  of  the  Sun  of  Eighteousness. 

16 :  12.    East,  (kings  of  the.)    Gospel  elements  for  the  overthrow  of  the  Baby- 
lon or  harlot  system. 
2 :  7, 17.    Eat.    Participation  of  the  same  food ;  symbol  of  identity  or  oneness. 

(See  Cup.) 
2  :  7,  etc.    Eab,  (to  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith.)    Understanding  of  the  spirit-sense, 
as  distinguished  from  that  of  the  letter. 
6  :  8.    Eaeth,  (fourth  of.)    The  earth  in  a  fourth  or  symbolical  sense ;  system 
or  kingdom  of  death  and  hell. 
21 :  13.    EASt,  (gates.)    Eastern  side  of  the  city ;  the  expression  "  of  the  sun," 
in  the  Greek,  being  here  omitted. 

19  •  18  f^-^'^'  ^^  ^y  ^^^-    I>estructive  trial  by  revealed  truth. 
3  :  18.    Fire.    The  Word  of  God,  or  the  true  sense  of  revelation.  (See  Jer. 

23 :  29.) 
20  :  9.    Fire  from  heaven.    A  development  of  truth  from  the  heaven  of  the 

written  word, 

8  :  5.    Fiee  of  the  altar.    A  development  of  truth  in  reference  to  the  vicari- 

ous sacrifice  of  Christ. 
12  : 8.    FiBRY-EED,  (dragon.)     Legal  accuser  under  the  broken  law,   (See 

Satan,  IDevil/) 
6  :  4.    FiEEY-EED,  (horse.)  Trying  power  of  the  law. 
8  :  10.    Fountains,  (earthly.)    Human  inventions  of  atonement 

21 '6  f  FotTNTAiNS  of  waters,  (living.)  Atonement  of  Christ— Fountain  of  life. 
19  :  17.    Fowls  of  the  mid-heaven,  (birds  of  prey.)    Elements  of  the  revealed 
law. 

*  The  first  death  we  may  suppose  to  be  the  slaying  or  killing  of  various  elements, 
personified  in  the  former  part  of  the  Apocalypse,  (principles  both  true  and  false.)  The 
true  enjoy  the  first  resurrection;  the  false,  having  been  first  manifested  to  be  without 
the  spirit  of  the  revealed  word,  are  afterwards  condemned  as  not  corresponding  with 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL   TEEMS.  455 

Kev.  19  :  17.    Flesh,  (human,)  or  fleshes.     Pretended  merits  or  righteousness  of 
man. 
2  :  17.    Flesh,  (of  Christ.)    His  moral  perfection  or  righteousness.   (See  John 

6 :  51-51) 
16  :  13.    Fkogs,  (amphibious  animals.)    Mixed  principles  of  doctrine ;  impure 
motives  of  action. 

17  : 2.    Foenioations.    Mixture  of  Gospel  and  self-righteous  views  or  princi- 

ples.   (See  Adultery.) 
1  :  15.    Feet,  (burning.)    Trying  progress  of  the  revealed  word. 

18  :  8.    Famine.    Destitution  of  the  bread  of  life.    (See  Nakedness.) 
22  :  4.    Face,  (of  God.)    Divine  mind  or  purpose. 

4  :  7.    Face,  (of  a  man.)    Symbol  of  reason  or  mind. 

13  •  11  )  'J 

19 :  20*.  f  ^-^-^^^  PROPHET.    Misinterpretation  of  the  written  word. 
12  :  17.    Flood,  (from  the  dragon's  mouth.)    Legal  accusation. 
12  :  7!  i  ^^^^H"^'  Fighting.    Contention  of  revealed  truth  with  error  in  war. 
14 :  4.    F0LLOWEK8  of  the  Lamb.    Elements  of  doctrine  pertaining  to  divine 

propitiation. 
9  \  17.    FiEE.    Smoke  and  sulphur ;  Sinalc  indications ;  action  of  the  law. 
20  :  10, 14.    Fire  and  brimstone,  (lake  of.)    Perpetual  trial  of  false  principles  by 
the  Word  of  God.  ^        ^        j 

13 :  13.    FiEB,  (of  the  false  prophet.)    A  delusive  construction  of  the  written 

word. 
22:2.    FKtnTsofthetreeofHfe.    Merits  of  Christ.    (See  Tree  of  life.) 

8  :  18.    Gold,  pure  and  precious.    Truth  as  revealed  in  Christ. 

I  :  12.    Golden.    True  and  precious,  as  applied  to  principles ;  elements  of  the 

divine  plan  of  salvation. 

16  :  15  [■Q'ARMENTS.    Coverings  to  hide  the  shame  or  guilt  of  sin. 

16  :  15.    Garments  of  salvation.    Imputed  merits  of  Christ.  (See  Eobe  and 

Eaiment.) 
3  :  18.    Garments,  (clothing  of  human  invention.)    Pretended  merit  of  human 

works. 
8  :  7.    Grass,  (covering  of  the  earth.)    Pretensions  to  righteousness  or  merit 
of  the  earthly  system. 

II  : 2.    Gentiles,  (uncircumcised.)    Carnal  doctrines  drawn  from  the  letter 

of  revelation  without  the  spirit. 

21 :  12.    Gates  of  the  holy  city,  with  guards.    Standards  or  tests  of  the  correct- 
ness of  principles  admitted  into  the  city  system  or  new  covenant. 

21 :  21.    Gates,  (all  of  one  pearl.)    Christ  the  only  avenue. 
1 :  18.    Girdle,  (golden.)    Divine  truth  exhibited  in  Christ,  binding  together 
all  true  doctrines  of  salvation. 

14  :  18.    Grapes,  (of  the  earthly  vine.)    Pretensions  of  the  earthly  system  of 

atonement.    Opposites  of  the  fruit  of  the  true  vine. 
16 :  10.    Gnawing  of  the  tongue.    Figure  of  trial  by  torture.     (See  Desire 
to  die.) 

20  : 8.    Gog  and  Magog.     Gentile  systems  or  doctrinal   elements  drawn 

from  the  ZeWe?*,  as  distinct  from  the  earthly  system  of  works  of 
the  law. 

15  :  4.    Holt,  Holiness,  (hosios.)    Moral  perfection :  innate  quality. 

21  : 2.    Holy,  Holiness,  (hagios.)    QuaUty  of  position :  set  apart,  consecrated. 

(See  Saint.) 
4:1;  12  : 1.    Heaven  or  Heavens.    "Whole  of  divine  revelation  in  reference  to  plan 
of  salvation.    (See  Stars.) 
6  :  14.    Heaven  rolled  up.    The  true  view  of  divine  revelation  withdrawn 

from  sight. 
6  : 2-8.    Horse,  (war  horse.)    Power  sustaining  the  rider. 
6  :  2.    Horse,  white.    Power  of  divine  righteousness. 


456  GLOSSARY   OF   ANALOGICAL   TERMS. 

Rev,  6  :  4.    Horse,  red  (fiery.)    Power  of  the  broken  law. 
6  :  5.    Horse,  biack.    Power  of  the  law  as  a  standard. 

6 ;  8.    HoKSK,  pale-green.    Power  derived  from  man's  pretensions  to  merit. 
(See  Grass.) 
6:8;  20 :  14.    Hel^,,  (with  death.)    Legal  condemnation.    (Hades.) 
6  : 8.    Hunger.    Sense  of  want  of  righteousnesis  or  merit. 
16  :  21.    Hail,  (test  afforded  by  the  revealed  word.)    Legal  principles  reiicting 
on  human  pretensions. 
5:6;  13  :  8.    Hoens.    Doctrinal  powers. 

9  :  13.    Horns  of  the  golden  altar.    Powers  of  Christ's  sacrifice  to  save  by 

atonement,  by  ransom,  by  propitiation,  by  justification;  diff'erent 
figures  of  the  same  power. 
13  :  I.    Horns,  (ten.)    Power  of  the  law,  represented  by  the  decalogue.    (See 

Kings.) 
18  :  11.    Horns,  (two,  like  a  Lamb.)    Two  doctrines  resting  upon  a  misinter- 
pretation of  the  Gospel,  (see  False  prophet;)  or  two  Gospel  doc- 
trines misrepresented. 
5  :  6.    Hoens,  (seven  of  the  Lamb.)    Seven  spirits  or  powers  of  salvation  ex- 
hibited in  Christ;  e  g.,  grace  or  gift,  adoption,  regeneration,  sanc- 
tification,  justification,  reconciliation,  glorification ;  all  operations 
of  the  one  Holy  Spirit,  (see  Seven ;)  different  representations  of  the 
same  divine  power. 
1:14.    Hairs,  (white.)    Symbolic  of  righteousness.    (See  Fi.&\ment,  white.) 

10  :  8.    Hair,  (of  women.)    Veil  or  covering,  as  a  requisite  of  law.    (1  Cor, 

ll :  5.) 
12  : 3. )  Heads,  seven,  of  the  dragon  and  beast.  Purposes  or  pretensions,  per- 
13 ;  1.  )  haps,  as  opposites  of  "the  seven  spirits  of  God  :  self-righteousness, 
self-propitiation,  self-justification,  self-glorification,  self-sanctifica- 
tion,  self-dependence,  self-adoration ;  difterent  modes  of  the  same 
mind  or  purpose,  adverse  to  the  cross  of  Christ ;  every  head,  as 
bringing  the  transgressor  under  the  law,  possessing  in  efi'ect  the 
sting  of  the  serpent. 

9  :  17.    Heads  of  lions.    Judicial  purpose  or  tendency  to  condemnation. 

10  : 1.    Head.    Purpose,  mind. 

17  :  5.    Haelot,  (mystery.)    False  system  or  plan  of  propitiation ;  opposite  of 

the  bride  or  new  covenant. 
15:2.    Harps.    Symbol  of  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

J„' .I't  Heart.    Inmost  thought ;  motive  fountain. 

6:  6;  22: 11.    Httet.    Tounjustify;  to  exhibit  want  of  justice  or  righteousness. 
3 :  10.    Hour  of  temptation,  (trial.)    Crisis  of  test  of  doctrinal  views. 
17 :  12.    HouE,  (one  or  the  same.)    Coincidently. 
8  :  3 ;  18  :  10.         "      in  one  hour.    In  the  shortest  supposable  time ;  all  at  once. 

9  :  15.    HouE.    The  hour,  day,  mouth,  and  year ;  the  crisis  predetermined  of 
development 

13 :  14.    Image,  (of  the  beast.)    The  harlot  representation  of  the  beast  under  a 
certain  aspect ;  an  opposite  of  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb ;  imago  of  the 
beast ;  one  mystery  the  representation  of  another. 
0  :  14.  )  Islands.    Refuges,  of  man's  device,  from  the  wrath  of  God  ;  a  feature 

16  :  20.  j         of  the  earthly  system  of  works. 

22 :  15.  Idolatry.  Self-adoration  and  self-dependence,  self-seeking.  (See 
Col.  3 :  5.) 

22  :  15.  Idolators.  Self-righteous  worshippers  of  their  own  merits ;  "  lovers 
of  their  own  selves,"  contemplating  themselves  as  the  authors  of 
their  own  salvation :  principles  personified.    0pp.  of  lovers  of  G  od. 

2  :  20.    Jezebel,  (false  prophetess.)    False  interpretation  of  the  written  word. 

(See  False  prophet.) 

3  :  12.  I  Jeeusalem,  (New,  holy.)    Vision  of  peace;  divine  plan  of  salvation  by 
21 :  2,  10.  )         grace ;  a  dispensation  of  works,  or  so  contemplated.    (See  City. 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL   TERMS.  457 

JBev.  21 :  18.  Jasper,  (brilliant  white  stone.)  Symbol  of  divine  perfection  or  right- 
eousness. 
9: 17.  J  Jacinth,  (of  breast-plates.)  A  figure  corresponding  with  smoke,  in 
21  :  20  J  combination  with  fire  and  brimstone.  (The  three  representing  the 
action  of  the  law  in  the  destruction  of  all  false  pretensions.)  Also 
garniture  of  the  wall :  foundation  there,  perhaps,  representing  the 
power  ijf  the  law. 

11:15.    Kingdom,  (reign.)    Plan  or  system  of  government. 
22  :  S.    Kingdom  of  heaven.    Divine  system  of  government,  as  revealed  in  the 

sacred  Scriptures.    (See  Matt.  23  :  13.) 
11 :  15.    Kingdom  of  Christ,  (mystery  of  Christ. )     Same  mystery  in  which 

Christ  is  seen  to  be  the  ruling  power,  all  things  (principles)  being 

subject  to  him. 
12  :  10.    Kingdom  of  God,  (mystery  of  God.)    Same  system,  but  In  which, 

when  come  or  manifested,  God  is  seen  to  be  the  ruling  power — the 

all  in  all — Christ  having  so  given  up  the  kingdom. 

16  : 1.0.    Kingdom  or  reign  of  the  beast,  (mystery  of  the  beast.)    The  opposite 

of  the  preceding :  plan  or  system  of  doctrinal  principles  in  which 
the  beast  pretends  to  be  the  ruling  power ;  in  efiect,  the  kingdom 
of  Satan,  resting  upon  the  power   and   great  authority   of  the 
Accuser.    (See  Satan.) 
11 :  15.    Kingdoms  of  the  world.    Systems  of  divine  government  or  ways  of 
salvation,  of  human  invention,  of  every  description. 
Kings,  (chiefs.)    Euling  principles  of  true  or  ftilso  doctrine. 
C  :  15.  I  Kings  of  the  earth     Ruling  principles  of  the  earthly  plan  or  system 
19  :  19.  )         of  justification  by  works. 

17  :  14.    Kings,  (the  ten  horns.)    Euling  principles  of  the  law,  symbolic  of  the 

power  of  the  law  collectively ;  figure  taken  from  the  decalogue,  as 
such  overcome  by  the  Lamb.    (See  Lamb.) 
16: 12.    Kings  of  the  east,  (from  the  risings  of  the  sun.)    Evangelical  princi- 
ples destructive  of  the  harlot  system. 
5  :  10.    Kings  and  priests  unto  God.    Elements  of  divine  revelation  promot- 
ing and  maintaining  the  power,  and  glory,  and  true  worship  of 
God ;  set  apart  as  anointed. 
17:14.  JKiNG  of  kings"  and  Lord  of  lords.    Attribute  of  divine  sovereignty. 
19  :  16.  f        (See  Dent.  10  :  17 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  15;  Dan.  2  :  47.) 
1 :  7.    KiNDEEDS  of  the  earth.    Elements  of  the  earthly  system  of  justification 

by  works.  •  (See  Tribes.) 
1  :  18.    Keys.    Power  and  function  of  unfolding  a   mystery.     (See  Matt. 

16:19.) 
3:7.    Key  of  David.    The  interpretation  of  the  writings  of  David. 
9  : 1.    Key  of  bottomless  pit.    A  revelation  of  the  bottomless  pit  mystery  oi 

system. 
1 :  18.    Keys  of  death  and  hell.    Power  of  developing  the  mysteries  control- 
ling the  principles  of  the  system  or  dispensation  of  legal  death  and 
condemnation. 

5  :  6.    Lamb.    Element  of  divino  propitiation,  or  vicarious  sacrifice,  imper- 
sonated in  Christ. 
4 :  7.    Lion.    Symbol  of  sovereign  and  judicial  power. 

13 :  2.    Leopakd,  (spotted  skin.)    Figurative  of  a  garment  of  salvation  of  a 
mixed  character,  as  partly  of  the  merits  of  Christ  and  partly  of 
those  of  men.    Figure  opposite  of  a  Lamb  without  spot.    (See 
Jer.  13  :  23.) 
9  :  7.    LocirsTS,  (scorpion-tailed.)    Legal  elements  of  the  pit  system  testintr 
pretensions  of  human  merit. 
21:11.    LiGUT.    Divine  righteousness ;  moral  perfection. 
21  *  23  J 
22  •  5.  f^^^'"''  '^  of  a  candle.    Same  righteousness  exhibited  in  Christ 

19  : 8.    Linen,  (fine  and  white.)    Divine  righteousness  as  sot  forth  in  the  plan 
of  redemption,  (the  Bride  of  the  Lamb.) 


458  GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TERMS. 

Rev.  22 :  2.    Leaves  of  the  tree  of  life.    Principles  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of 

Christ,  just  views  of. 
18  :  12, 16,    Linen,  (line,)  of  Babylon.     Legal  or  pretended  righteousness ;  an 
article  of  traffic  with  the  merchants  of  Babylon. 
20 :  10.    Lake  of  fire  and  brimstone.    Perpetual  test  of  doctrinal  principles  and 
systems  by  the  revealed  "Word  of  God,  as  in  a  furnace.    (See  Fire.) 
11 :  11.  )  Life.    Spirit,  or  appearance  of  spirit,  united  with  the  letter  of  the 
13  :  15.  f        written  word.    (See  Dead.) 
4 :  6.    Living  creatuees.    Divine  attributes.    (See  Beasts,  four.) 

8  :  5.    Lightnings,  with  thunder.    Threatenings  of  the  law  as  given  from 

Sinai. 
1 :  10.    (Gr.  LoKB-DAT,)  Day  of  the  Lord.    Crisis  of  revelation  ;  the  unveil- 
ing of  Jesus ;  when  the  Son  of  Man  is  revealed  or  unveiled. 
21  :  16.    Length,  breadth,  etc.*    Symbolic   dimensions,  indicating  elements 
of  revelation ;  also,  the  cubic  form,  as  of  an  ark.    (See  Holy  city.) 
4    5.    Lamps  around  the  throne.     (See  Seven  spirits  or  horns.)    Exhibition 
of  the  power  of  divine  sovereignty ;  collectively,  the  Holy  Spirit. 

19  :  9.    MapuEiage  stjppeb  or  feast.    Manifestation  of  the  oneness  or  identity 

of  two  parties. 
6  :  16.    Mountains.    Refuges  and  foundations  of  earthly  plans  of  salvation. 

(See  Rocks.) 

16  : 1.    Mount  Zion.    Divine  sovereignty,  or  sovereign  grace ;  foundation  of 

God's  pltfn  of  salvation. 
12  : 1.    Moon.    Harbinger  of  the  Gospel ;  reflection  of  the  rays  of  the  Sun  of 

Righteousness. 
13 :  12.    Moon,  (smitten.)    Withdrawal  of  this  light. 
12:1,3.) 

13  :  14.  VMieacles.    Signs  of  divine  authority,  true  or  false. 
16  :  13.  I 

9  :  4.    Men.    Dwellers  upon  or  inhabiters  of  the  earth.    Principles  of  tlie 

earthly  system  of  works. 
13 :  18.    Man,  (number  of)     Title  or  appellation  of  an  earthly  principle  or 

system. 
12:5.    Man-chili).    Element  of  divine  propitiation :  oflFspring  of  God's  plan  of 

salvation.    (See  Child.) 
18  :  15.    Merchants,  (of  Babylon.)    Mercenary  principles,  as  of  traffic. 
18 :  11.    Meechandise.    Human  pretensions  of  merit  of  a  mercenary  cha- 
racter. 
19  :  7.    Makriage.    Oneness  or  identity  of  being,  as  of  husband  and  wife ;  the 

Lamb  and  his  Bride.    (See  Eph.  5  :  31,  32.) 
18  :  8.    Mourning.    Conviction  of  sin  and  destitution  of  merit.    (See  Ezek. 
7: 16.) 
2:  28 ;  22 :  16.    Moening  star.    Jesus  Christ  as  the  rising  Sun  of  Righteousness.^ 
12  :  7.    Michael.    Element  or  attribute  of  divine  sovereignty. 
6  :  9.    Martyrs.    Elements  of  revealed  truth.    (See  Saints  and  Souls  under 
the  altar.) 

9  :  21.    Murders.     Depriving  elements  of  revelation  of  their  spirit  or  life- 

sense. 

17  ':  5!  f  Mastery.    Any  doctrinal  system  or  plan  of  salvation.    (1  Tim.  3  :  16.) 

10  : 7.    Mystery  of  Christ  or  of  God,  or  of  the  Gospel.    True  plan  of  salva- 

tion. 
17  :  5, 7.    Mystery  of  the  harlot,  Babylon.    False  plan  :  equivalent  to  mystery 
of  iniquity.    (See  2  Thess.  2 :  7.) 
1  :  20.    Mystery  of  the  seven  stars  or  seven  angels.    The  errors  with  whicli 
their  systems  were  chargeable,  or  by  which  they  were  endangereil. 

*  Length,  breadth,  and  height  of  the  city,  being  equal,  may  symbolize  the  perf'^cl 
symmetry  and  just  proportions  of  God's  plan  of  salvation. 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TERMS.  459 

Rev.  21 :  16.    Meastteement  of  the  city.    Indicating  its  ark-like  character,  measured 
only  by  truth ;  the  golden  reed. 

11  :  17.    Manna,  (hidden.)    The  righteousness  or  merits  of  Christ ;  the  bread 

of  life.    (S  ee  John  6  :  32-35. ) 
13 :  5.    MoTJTH  of  the  Beast.    Purport  or  tendency  of  the  beast  system  or 

mystery. 
9  :  17.    MoTiTHS  of  the  Euphratean  horses.    Purport  of  legal  development, 

emanating  from  the  Euphratean  pretension  to  atonement. 
19  :  15.    MoTJTn  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse.    Purport  of  divine  revelation 

expressed  in  the  spirit-sense ;  the  sharp  sword  from  the  mouth. 
1 :  16.    MoTJTn  of  the  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man.    Divine  revelation  ex- 
pressed by  both  letter  and  spirit.  Equivalent  to  the  cloven  tongues 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  (the  two-edged  sword.)    (See  Sword.) 
10 : 9, 10.    Mouth,  as  opposed  to  belly.    Spirit-sense  as  opposed  to  the  letter  or 
carnal  sense. 
13  :  17.    Mark  of  the  beast.    Characteristic  feature  of  the  beast  system. 

17  :  13.    Mind,  (gnomee,  being  of  one  mind.)    Sameness  of  purpose  or  tendency. 

(See  Beast.) 
17 :  9.    Mind  (nous)  which  hath  wisdom.     Understanding  of   the    hidden 
sense. 

9  :4.  )  Name,  (Father's.)    Characteristic  feature  of  divine  purpose  of  grace, 
14 : 1.  )         e.  g.,  adoption. 
11 :  13.    Names  of  men.    Doctrinal  principles  of  the  earthly  system. 
3:4.         "      in  Sardis.    Certain  principles  of  sound  doctrine. 
13  : 1.         "     of  blasphemy.    Doctrinal  elements  of  a  blasphemous  tendency. 

(See  Blasphemy.) 
13  :  7.    Name  of  the  beast.    Characteristic  feature  of  the  beast  system.    (See 
Number.) 

(J    .  Q    -f  Q      J 

■  g'   g'  J- Name.    Put  for  him  who  bears  it,  his  sake,  his  glory,  his  power. 
13 :  18.    Ntimbee,  (of  the  beast,)  ^^r-^  666.    Adversary  of  the  cross  of  Christ. 
14 : 1.         "         144,000,  (12  X 12.) '  Elements  of  old  and  new  dispensation. 
21  :  12-14.         "         twelve,  (12  apostles  or  12  patriarchs.)    New  Testament  or 
Old  Testament  revelation. 
5:8.         "         twenty -four.    Joint  testimony  of  Old  Testament  and  New 
Testament    (See  Elders.) 
11:13.         "         7000,  (names.)    All  of  a  certain  class  of  principles, 
1 :  4  and  |       "         seven.     A  symbol  of  totality,  as  seven  spirits :    one  spirit, 
elsewhere,  f        although  capable  of  analysis. 

20  : 1-7.         "         1000,    Sign  or  figure  of  coincidence,  a  parallelism. 
N.  B.    Ciphers,  in  all  these  cases,  are  but  signs  of  an  indefinite  quantity,  correspond- 
ing with  the  subject  under  treatment. 

11 ;  t  }•  Number  1260  days.  1  gyj^bolical  of    comcmdence,  figurative 

13 :  5.  "       42  months.  >    synchronism.    (See  Time.) 

11:9.  "       Si  days.    | 

12  :  14.  "       3i  times,  f  ^^^^^-  J 

11  : 9.    Nations,  (Gentiles.)     Doctrinal  systems  or  principles  derived  from 

the  letter  or  carnal  sense  of  revelation. 
3  :  17.    Naked.         )  Destitution  of  righteousness  or  merit,  as  without  cloth- 
18.    Nakedness.  J         ing.    (2  Cor.  5  :  2,  3.) 

12  '•  3  \  N^"^»  (song-)    Purport  of  New  Testament  revelation. 

21 : 1.        "      (heaven  and  earth.)    New  dispensation ;  new  views. 

21  :  2.        "      Jerusalem.    New  covenant.     Opposite  of  system  of  works. 

21  :  5.        "      all  things  new.    Divine  revelation  seen  under  a  new  aspect 

6  :  6.    Oil,  (element  of  sanctification.)    Setting  apart  in  Christ 

18  :  13.    Oil  and  wine,  (of  Babylon.)    False  principles,  or  pretended  means  of 

Bauctificatiuu  and  atonement:  worthless  articlfeS  of  trafiic. 


400  GLOSSARY    OF    ANALOGICAL   TEEMS. 

Rev.  11  :  4.    Olive  trees,  (two.)    Preachers  put  for  their  docti-ines,  exhibiting  the 
■way  of  sanctification  in  Christ. 
11  :  2.    OuTEE-oouBT,  (of  the  temple.)    Letter  of  revelation  in  reference  to 

the  worship  of  God.    (See  Court) 
2:7.)  Overcoming.  |  He  that   conquers    or  overcomes — the  term  in  the 
6:2.)  OvEECOiiExn.  )         Greek  being  the  same.    (See  Conqueror.) 

18  :  8.    People  of  God.    Equivalent  to  Israelites ;  principles  of  the  covenant 
of  grace. 

11:9.    Peoples,  kindred  or  tribes,  nations  and  tongues.    Equivalent  to  Gen- 
tiles :  doctrinal  systems  and  principles  drawn  from  the  letter  of 
revelation;  (carnal;  uncircumcised.)    (See  Gentiles.) 
18:17.    PovEKTY.     Destitution  of  merit  or  righteousness. 

8:17.    PooK.    Without  means  of  ransom  or  propitiation. 

9:20.    Plaques.    Tests  of  revealed  truth  applied  to  doctrinal  elements. 

15:8.    Plagues,  poured  out.    Application  of  those  tests. 

21  :  21.    Peael.    The  one  pearl,  pure  and  precious— Christ. 

17 -Q     Pi.  APT  a  )  in  the  array  and  traffic  of  Babylon.    Legal  pra 

18:12:    Precious  STONES,    \        SernU')  °''"'    C^ee  Tabernacle  in  thi 
9  : 1.    Pit,  (bottomless.)    Earthly  system  of  justification  without  a  founda 
tion.    (See  Bottomless  pit.) 

2  :  10.    Peison.    Position  arising  from  restricted  views.    (See  Cage.) 

20  : 8, 7.    Prison  of  Satan.    The  bottomless  pit ;  legal  position  under  the  broker 
law,  to  which  the  accuser  is  confined. 

1  : 3.    Prophecy.    Interpretation  of  divine  oracles. 

11 :  10.    PEOPnET,  (put  for  prophecy.)    Paile  of  interpretation,  or  constructioB 
put  upon  Scripture  language. 

19  '•  20  fI'^*^i'°^T  or  prophetess,  (false.)    Misinterpretation  of  Scripture. 

2  :  7.    Paeadise  of  God.    Position  of  grace ;  economy  of  grace.   Equivalent 

to  the  New  Jerusalem  or  holy  city. 

3  :  12.    Pillar.    Main  support  of  a  system  or  plan  of  salvation ;  a  fimdamen 

tal  principle. 
6 :  5.    Pair  of  balances.    Legal  standard  of  merit  or  demerit. 
5 :  10.    Priebts.    Principles  of  divine  worship ;    anointed,  set  apart  to  th( 

service  of  God.    (See  Kings  and  priests.) 
11 :  6.    Power  to  shut  heaven,  (see  Shut.)    Lock  up ;    not  to  disclose. 
6  :  8.    Pale  iiokse.    (See  Horse  green,  or  pale-green.)    Power  of  death  an(3 
hell,  resulting  from  the  earthly  system. 
6  :  10.    Peayeks,  (of  saints  under  the  altar.)    Urgency  of  Gospel  elements  foi 
the  vindication  of  their  true  sense. 

18  :  7.    Queen.    Euling  principle  of  a  mystery  or  system,  vrtth  pretension  tc 
sovereignty. 

22  :  20.    Quickly.  "Forthwith,  immediately,  right  away. 

1 : 1.    Revelation.    Unveiling ;  uncovering. 
14 :  13.    Rest.    Cessation  from  labor,  as  from  works  of  the  law. 
5  :  10 ;  20  :  4.    Reign.    Predominance  of  a  ruling  principle. 

14 :  15.    Reaping,  (harvest,)  of  the  earth.    C-risis  of  development,  when  the  er 
rors  of  the  earthly  system  are  exposed. 
6:11.    Robe.    Covering  of  righteousness.    (See  Garment,  Raiment,  etc.) 
4  :  4.    Raiment,  (white.)    Covering  of  divine  righteousness ;  imputed,  as  ap 

plied  to  the  disciple. 
22  : 1.    River  of  water  of  life.    Atonement  of  Christ. 

16  :  4.    Rivers  of  the  earth.    Earthly  or  human  pretensions  of  atoning  power 
by  works.    (See  Euphrates.) 
2 :  27 ;  19 :  15.    Rod,  (sceptre.)  of  iron.    Divine  sovereignty ;  ruling  principle  of  God's 
plan  of  salvation. 
21:15.    Reed,  (golden.)    Divine  standard  of  measurement ;  the  inspired  writ- 
ing:i. 


GLOSSARY    OF    ANALOGICAL   TERMS.  461 

Rev.  11 : 1.    Reed  or  rod,  (measuring.)    Human  standard  of  measurement. 

11 :  6.    Rain.    Development  of  the  doctrine  of  atonement,  as  from  the  heaven 

of  revelation. 
4 :  3.    Rainbow.    Tokeu  of  divine  purpose  of  reconciliation.    (Rays  of  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  reflected  in  or  from  the  atonement  of  Christ.) 
6:15.     Rooks,  (plural.)     Earthly  means  of  refuge;   foundations  of  earthly 
plans,  or  supposed  ways  of  salvation.     0pp.  of  the  rock  Christ,  th« 
only  refuge  and  the  only  foundation.    (1  Cor.  10  :  4.) 
2  :  23.    Reins.    Inmost  thought ;  motives  of  action. 

5  :  12.  ^  Riches.    True  or  false  means  of  ransom  or  redemption.    (See  Prov. 

18  :  17.  i        13 :  8;  Ps.  49  :  S;  Rev.  3  :  17.)    True  riches  the  merits  of  Jesus 

Christ 
17  :  4.    Red,  (purple.)    Symbolic  of  legal  power,  real  or  pretended. 

"     (crimson.)    Symbol  of  requisition  of  the  broken  law.     (See  Is. 
1 :  IS.) 
6:4;  12:3.       "     (fiery.)    Symbolic  of  legal  vengeance. 

2:5.  Repentance.  Change  of  views ;  in  a  doctrinal  system  change  of  prin- 
ciples. 

5  :  5.    Root  of  David.    The  mystic  David. 

2  :  24.  )  Remnant,  (of  the  woman's  seed.)    Elements,  oflfspring,  of  the  divine 
12  :  17.  S        plan  of-salvation. 

19  :  21.    Remnant  or  Rest,  (of  the  beast's  forces.)    Kings  of  the  earth  and  their 

armies ;  elements  of  the  earthly  system  subservient  to  the  adver- 
sary of  the  cross. 

11  •  13  f^^^^'^'  C^^"  remnant.)    Principles  of  the  earthly  system  remaining. 
20  :  5,  6.    Resuerection,  (standing  again,)  first.     Resuscitation  and  triumph  of 
elements  of  truth,  (saints  and  souls  under  the  altar,)  not  subject  to 
the  second  death,  and  consequently  not  the  subjects  of  a  second  re- 
surrection. 

20:12.  Resitreeotion,  (not  the  first.)  Standing  of  the  dead,  (elements  of 
false  doctrine,)  previously  represented  as  slain  or  killed,  before  the 
gi-eat  white  throne  to  be  judged  by  the  Word  pf  God  and  a  compa- 
rison with  tho  contents  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

N.B. — There  is  no  second  resurrection  spoken  of  in  the  Apocalypse.   The  differenca 
seems  to  be  in  kind,  and  not  in  succession.    (See  Death,  second.) 

2  :  14.    Stttmblino  blocks,  (offenses.)      Mixed  views  of  revelation,  tending 

to  divert  from  or  prevent  dependence  upon  the  merits  of  Christ. 
11 :  8.    Sodom.    An  impure  system  of  self-dependence.    Opp.  of  the  economy 

ofgi'ace, 
2 :  9.    STNAGoaTTE.    A  legal  system  of  promiscuous  principles.    Opp.  of  a 

church  or  select  assembly  of  Gospel  principles. 
3  :  9.    Synaoogtie  of  Satan.    System  as  above,  tending  to  legal  accusation. 

12  :  9.    Satan,  (the  adversary.)    The  accusing  and  prosecuting  power  of  the 

broken  law. 
13:7.    Saints,  (holy  ones.)    Principles  of  the  true  covenant;  set  apart ;  con- 
secrated ;  elements  of  Gospel  testimony.    (See  Souls.) 

6  :  9.  1  SOTiLS,  (under  the  altar  or  beheaded.)    Elements  of  divine  revelation, 
20  :  4  3         of  which  the  spirit-sense  once  suppressed  is  afterwards  restored. 

13  : 1.    Sand,  (of  tho  sea.)    Opp.  of  rock  or  mountain.    Position  for  contem- 

plating tho  characteristics  of  a  system  of  self-dependence. 
12  :  3.    Servants  of  God.    Principles  of  faith  tending  to  the  service  of  God 
from  pure  motives  of  love  or  gratitude. 

6  :  15.    Servants,  (slaves.)    Slavish  principles  of  service  of  the  earthly  system. 
"    "  "  (bondmen.)    Principles  tending  to  bondage.    (See  Egypt.) 

IS  :  13.  Slaves  and  souls  of  men,  (Gr.  bodies  and  souls.)  Mercenary  prin- 
ciples of  the  Babylonish  system. 

1 :  20.  Stars,  (seven.)  Ruling  principles  of  certain  doctrinal  systems.  (See 
Angels,  seven.) 

12  : 1.  Stars,  (twelve.)  Purport  of  Gospel  testimony,  as  of  the  twelve  Apos- 
tles. 


462  GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TEEMS. 

Rev.  8:12.    Staes  of  heaven.    Lights  (elements)  of  divine  revelation. 

12  :  4.        "  "  (dragged  to  earth.)    Brought  down  to  a  carnal  con- 

struction in  support  of  the  earthly  system  of  works. 

8  :  10.  )  Star,  falling  from  heaven  to  earth.    A  development  of  divine  truth 
9:1.)         cast  upon  a  certain  feature  of  the  earthly  system :   falling  as  the 

Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  the  apostles. 
16  :  11.    Sores.    Evidence  of  the  impurity  of  certain  doctrinal  principles :  as  of 

those  of  the  beast-system. 
18  :  23.    SoEOEKiES,  (pharmacies.)    False  remedies  for  the  disease  of  sin. 
9  :  2.  >  Smoke.    Evidence  of  a  trying  process  and  exhibition  of  the  nature  of 

19  :  3.  i         the  principles  tried  as  by  fire. 

19:15.    Sceptre.    Symbol  of  sovereign  power.    (See  rod.) 

Sweet  (Thyine)  "Wood  (of  Babylon.)     Means  of  salvation  perverted 
to  an  article  of  merchandise.     (See  Tree.) 
11 :  6.    Shut,  (heaven.)    Power  to  withold  certain  views  of  divine  revelation. 
11 :  3.    Sackcloth,  (witnesses  in.)    Ylews  carrying  conviction  of  sin. 

12  :  9.    Serpent.    Legal  accuser  and  deceiver.    (See  Dragon  and  Satan.) 

9  :  19.    Sting,  (serpent's.)    Penalty  of  the  broken  law ;   death  or  condemna- 

tion. 
9  :  5.    Sting,  (locust  scorpion's.)    Conviction  of  sin. 
4:4.)  Seats.    Tribunals  as  of  judgment ;  as  of  the  twenty-four  elders  and  souls 

20  :  4.  f        of  the  witnesses  ;  figure  of  divine  revelation  as  judges  of  doctrine. 
16  :  10.    Seat  (throne)  of  the  beast.    Pretension  to  sovereignty. 

2  :  13.    Seat,  (Satan's.)    "Where  the  legal  accuser  assumes  the  attribute  of  sove- 
reignty. 

13  : 2.    Seat,  (throne  of  the  dragon.)    Same  pretension. 

N.B. — The  Greek  term  trono3  is  rendered  in  our  common  version  both  seat  and 
throne ;  the  sense  must  be  apprehended  from  the  purport  of  the  context.  (See  Throne.) 
9  :  4.    Seal  of  God.    Characteristic  feature  of  divine  sovereignty. 
8  :  8.    Se.v.    Element  of  judicial  wrath. 
20  :  2.    Sea,  (of  glass  mingled  with  fire.)    Same  element  pacified  and  controlled. 
Sweet.     Giving  hope  of  salvation. 
Signify.    To  show  by  symbolic  signs  or  figures. 
Sign.    Symbolical  representation.    (See  "VVonder.) 
Signs  (miracles)  of  the  false  prophet  in  the  sight  of  men.    Delusive 

representations :  pretended  miracles. 
Sit,  sitting,  (as  of  a  queen.)    Pretension  to  Sovereignty. 
Song,  (ode.)    Substance  of  revelation. 

SoNG,(new.)    New  Testament  revelation ;  new  view  of  plan  of  salva- 
tion. 
Song  of  Moses.    The  legal  dispensation. 
Song  of  the  Lamb.    The  dispensation  of  grace. 
Spirits,  (unclean.)    Erroneous  views,  or  their  influences.     (See  De- 


10 

:9. 

1; 

:1. 

12:1,3. 

13: 

14 

18: 

:7. 

14 

:3. 

5 

:9. 

15 

:3. 

15 

:8. 

17: 

13. 

1 

:T. 

5 

:1. 

8 

:2. 

15 

:T. 

Seven.    Sign  of  totality,  but  susceptible  of  analysis. 

Q  ;  o  (^Seven  seals,  seven  trumpets,  and  seven  vials.    So  many  parts  of 
the  mystery  of  Christ  unveiled. 

6. '  Seven  spirits  of  God  or  of  the  Lamb.    Seven  operations  or  manifesta- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  (seven  lamps,  eyes,  and  horns.) 
13  : 1.    Seven  heads  of  the  beast.    Seven  exhibitions  or  manifest  purposes  of 

the  same  blasphemous  character. 
1 :  10.    Spirit.    Spirit-sense;  to  be  inspirit;  to  see  thmgs  in  their  spirit- 
sense. 
11 :  11.    Spirit,  (life.)    The  spirit-sense  of  divine  revelation,  or  of  any  of  its 
elements. 
12  : 1.    Sun.    Sun  of  Righteousness ;  Jesus  Christ.    (See  Morning  star.) 
6  :  12.    Sun,  darkened.    Same  not  seen  in  his  true  character ;  his  imputable 
righteousness  not  being  discerned. 
6 :  4.    Sword,  (great,)  of  the  magistrate  or  of  the  law.    Power  of  the  broken 
law ;  enforcing  its  requisitions. 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TERMS.  463 

Rev.  19  :  15.    Sword  (sharp)  of  the  Spirit.    Spirit-sense  of  divine  revelation.    (See 
Mouth.)  J 
1:16.  )  SwoED,  (two-edged.)    The  letter  and  spirit  of  divine  revelation,  cor- 

2  :  12.  f        responding  with  the  cloven  tongues  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     (Acts 

19  :  15, 21.    SwOBD  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  rider  of  the  white  horse.    The  spirit- 
sense  of  the  revealed  Word  of  God. 
13  :  14.    SwoED,  (ordinary.)    Power  of  the  letter  of  revelation, 
14  :  14,  15.    Sickle,  (sharp.)    Equivalent  to  "sharp  sword." 

3  :  18.    Shame.    Sense  of  destitution,  or  want  of  a  robe,  garment,  or  covering 

of  righteousness.    (See  Nakedness.) 

19  :  9.    Supper,  (marriage.)    Manifestation  of  identity,  or  oneness.    (SedEat.) 
19  :  17.    Supper  of  the  Great  God.    Legal  trial. 

8:9.)  Ships,  (arks.)    Earthly  means  of  safety,  or  of  salvation ;  Inventions  of 
18  :  17.  f        men,  or  of  the  earth-system. 

IS :  17.    Ship-masters  and  sailors,  (men.)    Elements  of  the  trading  feature 
of  the  earthly  system. 

1 :  4. )  Throne.    Emblem  of  sovereignty,  as  the  throne  of  God  or  of  God 
22  : 1, 8.  )         and  the  Lamb  ;  symbol  of  divine  sovereignty. 

20  :  4.    Thrones.    Seats  or  tribunals  of  judgment.    (See  Seats.) 

7  :  15.  Temple.  True  position  of  worship,  as  in  Christ  or  in  God  and  the 
Lamb.  (See  Rev.  21 :  22.)  Arrangement  of  principles  of  worship 
or  service  of  God  peculiar  to  the  covenant  of  grace. 

10 :  6.  Time,  (periods  of.)  Figure  of  coincidence  or  symbolic  parallelism. 
(See  Days,  months,  &c.)  Time  no  longer;  terms  of  time  not  to 
be  literally  understood. 
2  :  7 ;  22  :  2.  Tree  of  life,  (the  cross  of  Christ)  Divine  purpose  of  salvation  by 
grace  through  the  vicarious  sacrifice  of  Christ ;  fruits  and  leaves— 
his  merits ;  life  put  for  the  means  of  eternal  life. 
7 :  3.  Trees  of  the  earth.  False  teachers  of  the  earthly  system ;  fruits  and 
leaves  corresponding,  (pretensions.)    Opposites  of  the  tree  of  life. 

14  :  2.  Torment,  (torture,)  as  of  a  witness  or  criminal  on  the  rack.  Trial  of 
false  principles.    (See  Sting.) 

21  :3.    Tabernacle,  (of  God.)    Divine  plan  of  redemption,  (Christ;)  same 

as  New  Jerusalem. 
15:5.    Tabernacle,  (in  heaven.)    Same  as  above.    0pp.  of  tabernacle  in  the 
wilderness,  or  the  same  seen  under  a  different  aspect.    (See  Heb. 
8 ;  2.) 

22  :  17.'  i  "^s^^ST,  thirsty.    Conviction  of  sin  and  sense  of  need  of  atonement. 
Tribes  of  the  earth,  (kindreds.)    Elements  of  the  earthly  system  of 
works,  opposed  to  the  truth  of  salvation  by  grace  revealed  or  un 
veiled  in  Christ. 
5  :  9.    Tongues,  (languages  or  nations.)    A  collective  symbol  of  Gentile  or 
carnal  views.     Opposite  of  cloven  tongues.     (See  Sword  two- 
edged.) 
13  : 1.    Ten  horns.    The  decalogue  put  for  the  power  of  the  whole  law. 
17  :  12.    Ten  kings.    The  same  as  above,  figure  only  changed. 
13  :  2.    Two  horns.    Two  doctrinal  powers.    (See  Horns.) 
13  :  2.    Two  horns  of  the  second  beast.    Two  doctrines  by  which  a  certain 

false  interpretation  is  sustained.    (See  False  prophet) 
11 :  10.    Two  prophets.    Two  exhibitions  of  divine  revelation,  as  of  the  letter 

and  the  spirit,  or  as  of  the  old  and  new  dispensations. 
12  :  14.    Two  wings.    Two  operations  or  modes  of  exhibition  of  the  Holy  Spi- 
rit by  which  the  true  view  of  the  divine  plan  of  redemption  is  pro- 
tected or  concealed. 
20  : 1-7.    Thousand  years.    Sign  of  coincidence.    (See  Number  and  time.) 

12* :  4  [  "^^^^  °^  Tails.    Misinterpretation  or  false  construction  of  revelation. 
9  :  21.    Thefts.    Robbing  God  of  the  glory  due  him  in  the  work  of  salvation. 
9  :  8.    Teeth,  (of  lions.)    Legal  or  judicial  power. 


464  GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL  TERMS. 

Rev.  8  : 7-12.    Thied.    Third  sense  or  analogical  sense,  (the  word  part^  not  in  the 
original.) 
10:4,    TnuNDEKS,  legal  Indications.    Threatenings  of  Sinai. 
2 :  10.    Teibulation.    Figure  of  elements  of  doctrine  suffering  from  suppres- 
sion of  their  spirit-sense. 
1 :  10.    Tettmpets,  (voice  or  sound  of.)    Developments  of  God's  plan  of  sal. 

vation  and  government. 
8 :  10.    Teial,  (hour  of.)    Crisis  of  test  applied  to  all  systems  of  human  inven- 
tion.   (See  World,  Hour.) 
11 :  13.    Tenth,  (tithe.)    Figure  opp.  to  that  of  temple.    Tithe  of  Babylon ; 

feature  of  pretended  worship  of  God  of  the  harlot  system. 
12  :  14.    Theee  times  and  a  hali',  or  time,  times,  and  haLf  a  time.   Figurative : 
31-  years  or  42  months,  1260  days. 
11 :  9.    Theee  and  a  half  days.    Same  as  above. 

18  :  2.    TJncleak,  (birds.)    Levitically  common.    Opp.  of  set  apart 
16  :  13.  "  bpieits,  (as  frogs.)    Levitically  unclean,  as  of  an  amphibi- 

ous or  mixed  character. 
21 :  8.    Unbelieving,  (the.)    Doctrinal  elements  opp.  of  trust  in  the  merits  of 

Christ. 
13 :  18.    TjNDERSTANDrNG.    Eight  apprehension  of  the  mystery  or  myth  of 
written  revelation. 

14  :  4.    Undefiled,  (with  women.)    Elements  of  true  doctrine  unadulterated 

with  earthly  pretensions. 

"     "     ViKGiNS.    Same.    Free  from  any  mixture  of  self-righteous  principles. 
14 :  19.    Vintage,  (of  the  earth.)    Exposure  of  the  errors  of  the  earthly  system 
of  propitiation  by  works. 

15  :  7.    Vials  of  wrath.    Elements  of  revealed  truth  brought  to  bear  as  tests 

upon  certain  errors  of  the  earthly  system. 
14 :  8.    Vine  of  the  earth.    Atoning  feature  of  the  earthly  system ;  opp.  of  true 

vine,  (Christ.) 
8  :  13.    Voices  of  trumpets.    Developments  of  divine  truth. 
10 :  3,  4.    Voices,  (with  thunder,  etc.)    Language  of  the  broken  law. 

14  :  2.    Voice,  (as  of  many  waters.)  Development  of  truth  overcoming  adverse 

errors. 

11  :  19.  )  Voice,  (from  any  quarter  or  thing.)    A  revelation  from  that  quarter 
4:5.)         or  thing. 

9:17.    Vision,  (the.)    Symbolic  mode  of  revelation  to  the  apostle. 

6 :  6.    Wine.    The  product  of  the  true  vine ;  the  atonement  of  Christ. 
14 :  20.    Wine  from  grapes  of  the  earthly  vine,  (blood  of  the  vine.)    False 
means  of  atonement 
17 : 2.    Wine,  mixed  or  drugged.    (See  Cup  of  harlot)    Pretended  means  of 
atonement  of  a  mixed  character,  as  partly  the  work  of  Christ  and 
partly  that  of  man. 
14  :  19.    Wine-peess  of  WF.ATn.    Divine  revelation,  acting  as  a  test  on  earthly 
or  human  plans  of  atonement 
4 :  8.    Wings,  (six.)    Modes  of  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

12  :  14    Wings,  (two,)  as  of  an  eagle.    Concealment  of  the  divine  purpose  of 

grace  beneath  the  letter  of  revelation. 
12  : 1.    Woman,  (in  labor.)    God's  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace  bringing  forth 

the  element  of  vicarious  sacrifice. 
18  :  7.    Widow.    False  plan  of  salvation,  destitute  of  any  means  of  propitia 

tion  or  justification. 
17  :  3.    Woman  of  the  beast  (the  harlot  Babylon.)    False  plan  of  propitiation ; 

part  of  the  beast  system.    Opp.  of  divine  purpose  of  grace. 
19 :  7.    Woman,  (Wife  of  the  Lamb.)     The  heavenly  Jerusalem  or  divine 

purpose  of  salvation  through  Christ  or  in  him.    (See  Word  of 

God.) 
21 :  14, 18.    Wall  or  Walls.    Protecting  feature  of  God's  plan  of  salvation  ;  his 

imputed  righteousness. 


GLOSSARY    OF   ANALOGICAL   TERMS.  465 

*'^^*  ^2  *  6*  r  WiLDEKNESS     Position  of  man  under  the  law. 
J:  5;  20:  4.    Witness.    Element  of  divine  revelation.    (See  Martyrs.) 

11 :  3.    Witnesses,  (two  in  sackcloth.)    Same  element  contemplated  under  a 

legal  aspect. 
17 : 1.    Whore.    (See  Harlot.)    Babylon. 

21 :  8.  )  Whoeemongbrs.      Doctrines    favoring    false   views  —  symbolically 
22  :  15.  f        harlots. 

1  :  14,    White,  (lucid,  brilliant.)    Characteristic  of  divine  righteousness. 

2  :  17.    White  stone.    A  brilliant  precious  stone,  (Christ.) 

3:5;  7:9.    White  robe  or  raiment.    Covering  of  divine  righteousness. 

10  •  ll"  (■  ^i^n^^  horse,    ]  Three  symbolical  expressions  of  the  divine  righteous- 
14  ;  U.  '  White  cloud,    \    f,t!L^JJ''^it  ?cf  TA''^  ""^  ^""^^  *^^  conqueror,  Is 
20:11.    White  throne,  J      sustained,     (.is.  OJ  .  lO.) 
9  :  9.    Wings  of  the  Locust.    0pp.  of  those  of  the  comforter.    Elements  of 

revelation  carrying  conviction  of  sin  to  the  mind. 
9  :  12     Wo,  Woes.    Developments  of  truth  acting  upon  principles  of  tha 

earthly  system,  personified  as  inhabiters  of  the  earth. 
12  : 1.    Wonders,  (signs.)    Symbolical  exhibitions.    (See  Signs.) 
2:26.    Works.    Tendencies  of  the  principles  of  a  system  of  faith. 
19  :  13.    Word  of  God.    Divine  mind  or  purpose  of  salvation  by  grace. 
21 :  9.     Wife  of  the  Lamb.    Same  mind  or  purpose. 
6:6.    Wheat,  (material  of  bread.)    Means  of  eternal  life. 

18  :  13.         "        (of  Babylon.)    Pretensions  to  the  above. 

8  :  11.     Wormwood,  (the  star.)    Development  of  truth  carrying  conviction  of 
siu;  showing  insufficiency  of  human  means  of  atonement. 

3  :  10.  ^  World,  (oikoumenee.)     General  platform  of  all  human  systems  of 

12  :  9.  k        justification.    0pp.  of  dependence  upon  Christ. 
11 :  15.    World,  (kosmos,)  kingdoms  of    Same  as  above, 

21:6.  Water  of  life.    Atonement  of  Christ.    (SeeEiver.) 

8  :  11.  Waters  of  the  earth.    Earthly  pretensions  to  atonement. 

7  :  17.  Waters,  (living.)    Same  as  water  of  life. 

.    12  :  15.  Water,  as  a  flood  or  sea.    Judicial  wrath. 

5  :  14.  Worship,  (true.)    Service  of  God  from  the  pure  motive  of  serving  hiui, 
or  of  devotion  to  him,  of  which  the  act  of  prostration  is  a  figure. 

13  :  4.  Worship,  (false,)  as  of  the  beast  or  of  Satan.     Pretended  service  of 

God  from  self-seeking  motives. 

14  :  7.  )  Worship,  (adoration.)    Ascription  of  glory  due  only  to  the  Supreme 

19  :  19.  f        Being. 

L* .  :  \  Wiping  away  of  tears.    Assurance  of  reconciliation  with  God. 

12  :  7.    War,  (in  heaven.)    Contest  between  elements  of  justice  and  mercy. 

20  :  2-7.    Years,  (1000.)    Sign  of  parallelism  of  symbolical  figures. 

3  :  19.    Zealous.    Fervent.     Opp,  of  lukewarmnoss. 


